O, My Troubles With God
by Rio Grande
Summary: Some years later, Faye Valentine is staying in a city on Mars, in search of a female homicidal maniac. However, as it would turn out, she's in over her head and now it's up to the wandering spirit of a deceased cowboy to give her a hand.
1. O, My Troubles With God

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He stared into the darkness, eyes watching the city lights dance gaily around below with the interest of one who had been watching a similar scene, dourly, with a grim look on their face, for quite a long span of time, and really had no urge to view it any longer.  
  
His half lidded eyes didn't move or twitch in the slightest, suggesting that he might not actually be watching the city streets, but looking at people and events that weren't necessarily there at the moment... he was looking far beyond what mere sights he had been offered to look upon, and was soaking in memories of the past... trying to find it... trying to understand it...  
  
In his hand he clasped a bottle of beer, his fist tightly wound around its neck. Two eyes, both slightly differing in color, finally closed, and the man bit his lip lightly, eyebrows knitting together in a sort of eternal frustration.  
  
"Damn it..." the man gasped softly. "I just don't get it... I don't get it and... I can't take it any longer!" His voice was haunted and low, depressing to listen to, with even a hint of inner turmoil to it. "Dammit!!" The man finally growled, his large hand clenching around the bottle so tight, it cracked in his powerful grip. It then occurred to one that, though the man was tall and lanky looking, his strength was obviously something to be reckoned with.  
  
The man abruptly stood up from his place on the ground of an abandoned apartment, facing a large window that had an excellent view of the city the forlorn man had, quite accidentally, be assured, wandered into the other day... maybe searching for answers. He ran a hand through his head of messy, dark moss colored hair, his other hand dropping the remainder of the empty beer bottle, uncaring as the broken shards of glass clattered to the ground and spun around every which way.  
  
He paused to stare at his hand, which one would assume would be a bit bloody and marred from his previous activity... but as the man watched his palm intently, every scrape, every tiny laceration, nearly instantly healed, growing smaller in length and width, and shrinking into itself. It was doing the work a few weeks might have in a few seconds, until their was not even a scar remaining, much less a gory mess. The man smirked a bit as the procedure was finished, lowering his hand slowly.  
  
"One of the only perks..." he observed quietly, now staring up at the ceiling. Any random person happening to look upon the man just then would have described his expression as looking, 'lost and surprisingly upset', or even 'Damned, with an 'edge of your seat' hint of paranoia to it'. Indeed, the slightly mad glint to the man's eyes was enough to suggest he had been around the block a few times.  
  
Finally, he turned his head to the side, eying the door not that far off, that would lead him out of the dank apartment he had found himself in. "I... I don't want to do this," he admitted, as if just to make sure he really didn't, "But I don't have a choice!.. and... anything is better than this... this eternal unrest... isn't it?" After a moment of introverted silence, the man decided that yes, it ought to be... and turned on his heal, decidedly leaving the dark room. He didn't bother to use the door as he walked through the wall without batting a lash, unhindered by normal, human, inconveniences.  
  
A cool breeze drifted through the now empty apartment, blowing the remaining pieces of glass across the floor with soft scraping sounds, herding them into a dark corner where they could not be seen... a hazardous thing now, for any unknowing person who might walk by, and not notice the jagged shards...   
  
*  
  
O, My Troubles With God.  
  
By Rio Grande~  
  
Prologue  
  
*  
To better understand Faye Valentine, notorious (in her opinion) bounty hunter, one might examine the way she thought about her appearance. She was, for sure, quite attractive looking. With a body some woman would (quite literally) kill for, an oval face with pleasant features, and a beautiful, not to mention natural, turquoise eye color, the purple haired beauty was a sight for sore eyes in many men's opinion.  
  
But, Faye looked at these things as more of a useful asset... almost like a really, really sharp and dependable sword, or nuclear weapon. Something she could easily use to her advantage and (more often than not) other people's disadvantage. It wasn't her fault if men sometimes forgot their wits when she cozied up to them, thus making it easier for the woman to knock their teeth into their brains. It wasn't her fault that when she leaned over the typical male was often not looking at her face, necessarily, letting her more quickly aim the gun at their head's. Nooo... it was just lucky for her, was all.  
  
Thus, Faye found it very important to maintain her God like body, for business purposes. All of this making the one, and ONLY reason she was getting a manicure and pedicure today, by a small, Asian woman with quick, strong hands, that applied the deep red nail polish to her perfectly kept nails with trained precision. She wasn't doing all this because she was vain, or anything...  
  
"Thanks," Faye said curtly as she was led over to a corner, where she stuck her hands under a ledge that blew hot air onto her rapidly drying fingers. She hated this part... she got bored, so she always took her hands out too quickly, and mucked up polish, that looked so perfect and smooth just then.  
  
In fact, actually, Faye DID have a reason to be spending her afternoon at the manicure salon that day. Well, at least, the Salon, 'Nancy's Beautiful Nails', was located in Neptune Park, a rather wealthy city on Mars, where only the richest, snobbiest, and powerful types of people actually lived, and was thus a tourist attraction for most other people in the galaxy. Faye found it a bit boring, the sparkling clean streets and ritzy cafe's had been fun at first... but after an entire week of coming up with dead ends concerning the whereabouts of the wanted, Madame Yoloko, Faye was getting a bit irritated, and beginning to feel suffocated in this town of unbearably wealthy characters. Where was a good, old fashioned, whole in the wall bar when you needed one? Not in this strategically designed, blue skies and perfectly trimmed grass city, that was for sure. Faye had long ago decided she was suffering from a lack of smog and danger, and if this bounty didn't show her face soon, she might just have to abandon the whole thing and take up another job. One preferably in a dingy, poor neighborhood, with lots of illegal drug use involved.  
  
"Ahhh... good enough," Faye decided with a sigh, taking her hands out from under the dryer, and eying her shining nails with a smile. Perfect.  
  
Smiling to her manicurist briefly as she exited the shop, Faye trotted down the (incredibly clean) staircase, shouldering her purse, and opening the door, exposing herself to the bright, golden rays of sunshine that attacked her on yet another perfect day.  
  
"Doesn't it ever RAIN here, or anything?" Faye wondered quietly, pulling her sunglasses down from atop her head. Ignoring the lingering gaze of a wealthy looking man in a dark green jacket off to her left, Faye confidently began to strut down the street. All the while, she was keeping her destination in mind as she glanced all around, looking for any signs of a thin woman who stood about 5'7 with long, dark blue hair and a scar running down her face, to her left arm, to her wrist like a vine twining itself around her flesh...  
  
About two weeks ago, Faye had overheard (in one, dank, bar or another) the stories of a rich, aristocratic woman, ('With like, a HUGE rack,' the man had been quick to assure his equally as wasted friend,) who also happened to be a mentally insane ax murderer. She had a hefty bounty on her head these days, and was rumored to be living somewhere on Mars currently, keeping a low profile.  
  
Now, usually, Faye liked to avoid female bounties, since, truthfully, they were all much trickier, and dangerous, than the brainless, fat ass males she usually took in. After all, the female species was just a lot more cunning than any lousy man! Thus they were to be taken a bit more seriously, in Faye's opinion. But, in any case, when Faye heard just exactly HOW much money was involved with this 'Madame Yoloko', she made an exception to her usual rule. 15 million Wong! That was A LOT of money for just one woman! One prissy, rich woman, Faye was sure, which narrowed down her brain cell, and danger level, quite a lot in Faye's eyes.  
  
The people willing to pay this much money were actually the woman's in- laws themselves! Parents to her late husband, that is. Madame Yoloko had shot her husband dead with about fifty holes left in his body, around a year ago. Along with her two young sons, in her old mansion, back on Earth.  
  
'Living with three men, playing the part of the jobless housewife? No wonder she went insane.' Faye decided dryly, yawning as she neared 'Restaurant de Poison', well known for it's fabulous seafood menu. The Woman's in-laws had been so outraged when they discovered the identity of their son and grand-children's murderer, they eagerly dished out as much money as they possibly could, in order to have Yoloko's head served to them on a platter, and quick. That had been around seven months ago now, though, and nada one bounty hunter had managed to pin down the woman.  
  
'Like I said, women are much more intelligent then men. No wonder none of those louses could catch her! This is a job for a lady of my skill, obviously,' Faye thought to herself with a small smile, entering the restaurant and immediately feeling a wave of cold hair wash over her. Yes, AC was a good thing.  
  
As she entered, a waiter with a perfectly groomed, curled mustache quickly approached her. As he neared, Faye watched, with some (carefully covered) amusement, as his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. Considering that this restaurant WAS a bit fancy, and probably mini cut off shorts, and a revealing yellow halter, were not oh-so-appropriate, this reaction was normal. Still, Faye confidently flicked a purple tendril of hair back behind her ear and smiled charmingly at the tall waiter. She had no modesty to speak of, and was rarely embarrassed.  
  
"Erm, how many?" the waiter asked in a carefully polite, French accent.  
  
"Just one," Faye replied quickly, watching the waiter intently as his eyes tried not to stray to low.  
  
"Zis way, Mademoiselle," he said, briskly turning and walking off to an empty table near the back of the restaurant. Its deep red carpets, and pleasantly lit white walls, with expensive looking moldings decorating the ceiling, not to mention a large crystal chandelier, proved the restaurant to be worthy of the rich and snobby people it appeared to be serving. Faye glanced hungrily and the women's jewelry, and expensive haircuts... if only she could afford to live like these ladies.  
  
Married to rich, powerful men, with nothing to do all day but hang around their mansion and gossip at the country club. Well, Faye certainly didn't plan on getting married, didn't want to be a house wife, and had no particular like for country clubs, but she would indeed be rich if she caught this Yoloko! With that in mind, Faye quickly got herself seated, thanking the waiter for the finely stitched menu he gave her, and got to sipping her glass of water as her eyes strayed around the room casually, trying making it look as though she really did fit in.  
  
There were no customers that Faye could see that looked at all threatening or out of place, (not including herself) but she supposed that was the point. If Yoloko was trying to avoid being found, well, this was obviously not they type of place she would just waltz into, right? Wrong.  
  
Apparently, Faye had discovered, thanks to a particularly talkative, young, male police officer Faye had... bumped into, on the street the other day... Yoloko had a fetish for seafood... expensive seafood. And even though she was technically on the run, Yoloko had been spotted once or twice in different areas on Mars a few months ago, in various ritzy seafood restaurants, not all that different from the one Faye was currently in! Faye had done her homework well, too, and judging from the other places the sly woman had been spotted at, this would be the perfect next place to stop by and have a tasty little lobster dinner...  
  
'On the other hand, I'm probably not the first one to figure that out,' Faye admitted to herself with a stubborn sigh, taking out a cigarette, as it seemed various other people around her were showing no hesitance to light up. 'I'm sure they're police and bounty hunters all over seafood restaurants on Mars with the same idea I have now, if that rookie cop knew information like this. Still... it's better than nothing!' Faye assured herself, glancing at the cheapest salad on the menu, and firmly deciding that THAT was exactly what she wanted to eat.  
  
Also reminding herself that if she actually DID spot Yoloko, (which would really, honestly, be a shock,) she ought to be careful, because all of the other times the woman had been spotted, in had been in the midst of a group of shady looking men, obviously hired body guards of a sort. Which was actually a smart move, if the woman could pay them enough to make sure the bodyguards themselves didn't try to hand the woman over.  
  
'But it doesn't make sense...' Faye decided irritably, blowing a smoke ring as her brows knitted together in confusion, both elbows placed on the table in front of her. 'She couldn't have THAT much money, since she's practically ruined without her dear husband to pay for her. She should be poor! It's not like she's robbed a bank or anything. How much could she be paying these men who protect her, so that they don't get any ideas about giving her to the police? Is it MORE than her bounty? I highly doubt it...'  
  
Suddenly, Faye found herself snapped out of her bout of uncharacteristically deep thoughts, as a flash of dark green caught her attention.  
  
Her head whipped to the side to catch side of it again. and there it was. a man... with a head of shaggy... almost fuzzy... green hair... She took in a sharp gasp, and immediately felt her world begin to spin around her.  
  
'Spike?' Faye wondered, her jaw dropping, unfortunately causing her cigarette to be dropped to the floor, where it rolled under the table, forgotten... suddenly it seemed as though there were more important things to worry about.  
  
'No way... no freaking way...it couldn't be that lunkhead... he's dead...' Faye felt her eyes fog over, as a whole world of painful memories from three years ago came crashing down on her. She quickly brought one hand up to cover her trembling mouth, wanting no one to see her break down right there in the middle of things.  
  
As she watched the tall figure stay standing a few feet away from her, back still turned, Faye unconsciously shrank back into her velvet chair. She didn't want to see Spike... that man. that idiot!... brought on such an onslaught of aching, painful emotions, that honestly confused and greatly distressed her, just by thinking about him! She didn't know what would happen if she were actually to meet Spike again. Her fragile heart would, most likely, break, was her guess...  
  
'But... what the hell is Spike doing in a sea-food restaurant - on Mars!?' she wondered furiously, the hand by her mouth clenching into a nervous fist. 'Maybe.... maybe to look for me?...' In all her life, Faye was just about positive she had never known someone who could make her feel so raw with emotion, or so vulnerable... even after three years... and It angered her to no end.  
  
Faye's eyes widened fearfully as Spike slowly started to turn around, and look in her direction. She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, as the trepidation and excitement put her nerves on end. What if he saw her! What would she do?! Finally, Spike made his strangely laboriously slow turn, and-  
  
It wasn't Spike.  
  
Faye felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, and her hands fell limply at her sides, trembling. It was as though she had just been at the top of a really scary and fast roller coaster, had been totally ready for the vertical plummet that was inevitably coming, had started off and then... there was nothing. The roller coaster just ended. And suddenly Faye felt like throwing up, even felt the stinging prickle of tears in her eyes.  
  
As the tall woman, wearing a dark trench coat and a (disgusting!) green fuzzy hat caught sight of Faye, head bowed, shoulders shaking, a flash of worry passed over her face, and she slowly approached the purple haired woman.  
  
"Dear... are you quite all right?" she asked Faye, who was still valiantly holding back a tsunami of tears and confusing feelings.  
  
"I'm ... I'm just fine!" Faye spat, quite honestly having no idea why all this upset her so much. She KNEW Spike was dead. He'd been dead for three years! Why would he come back now, just to meet her in a restaurant on Mars, for crying out loud? The poor woman had absolutely no idea why she had gotten so riled up, and was officially disgusted with herself. "Just... go away!" she hissed. The woman's eyes widened, and she quickly backed up, hearing the vehemence in Faye's voice clearly, and getting the distinct picture of a cat, ready to swipe out with her powerful claws, in her mind.  
  
"Well, my, no need to get offended," she muttered darkly, wandering away, and thinking Faye just dreadfully rude.  
  
Sniffling softly, and backing away farther into her little corner, arms crossed, Faye took in a shaky breath in a visible effort to calm herself. Jeez! She was really, truly loosing her mind. And she hated him for it. Thoughts of that arrogant, deceased, bounty hunter were getting in the way of her job!  
  
"Hm?" Faye mumbled, wiping furiously at her stray tears, and suddenly realizing in mid-scowl, that it wasn't really just her emotions getting the better of her, it was really the...  
  
"Holy shit! There's a fire under my table!"  
  
...smoke.  
  
As soon as Faye shrieked this observation to the entire restaurant, literally hearing the expensive jewelry all turn her way with a giant groan, she instantly regretted it, noting the fact that it had been in fact HER cigarette, which had started the mini fireplace next to her feet.  
  
Never the less, the buxom bounty hunter still jumped from her chair with a surprised yelp, leaning down to prod and her singed ankle tenderly.  
  
"Excuse est moi, mademoiselle, is zere... a problem?" the waiter with the curly mustache from before asked, eying Faye's table with some worry as the table cloth burst into flames.  
  
Deciding she was already pretty deep in this anyway, Faye continued her tirade, apparently just aghast with the restaurant itself.  
  
"That- that could be ME!" Faye howled, clutching her chest with pure fear. She rounded on the waiter, simply terrifying the poor man. "I should SUE, you incompetent French prick!" she screamed, suddenly lamenting over the fact that this really was HER fault, because she sure could sure use the money...  
  
"I-I am so sorry!" the waiter gurgled nervously, wringing his hands together, while another waiter quickly poured a cup of water over the fire. As Faye spotted the manager marching towards her from the corner of her eye, looking slightly distressed, she decided that it really was enough... and she should probably be going anyway... Madame Yoloko was OBVIOUSLY not here... and the last thing she needed right now was some trouble.  
  
"Well... you just see if I EVER eat here again!" she spat, turning on her heal and quickly dashing out of the restaurant as fast as her pumps would take her, determined to get back to her hotel as soon as humanly possible and just lay down, maybe cut away some serious time to think things over.  
  
She appeared to not be entirely over the bane of her life's death yet...  
  
How odd.  
  
*  
  
-Author's Notes  
  
So, how did you like the prologue? I have a feeling I'm not sticking true to Faye's true personality, but whatever... I'm doing my best! This story is going to be a relatively long one so get read for about maybe ten more chapters of story before this, really weird, saga is over. Please review and look out for the next chapter: Fast Food.  
-Rio Grande ~ (papaya41@aol.com) 


	2. Fast Food

Hey! It's Chapter one!...Oh how fun! --(Rhymes.) Yeah, I really don't have anything to say, is the thing. I don't own Cowboy Beebop, though! And, as always, enjoy.  
  
O, My Troubles With God  
  
By Rio Grande  
  
Chapter One: Fast Food  
"Personally, I think this Julia character sounds like a bitch," a fake blonde with a fake rack and a fake shiny leather jacket but real diamond earrings, decided firmly, blowing a puff of smoke out of the side of her mouth as she spoke.  
  
"Teelll me about it," Faye moaned in a raspy voice, clunking her beer bottle down hard on the table, and lifting her face up to get a better look at... Sheryl? Sherry? Shelly?... whatever.  
  
"I mean, cheating on your boyfriend while he's at WAR, thus starting a colossal battle within one of the most powerful syndicates, only to then disappear into the shadows in hopes of never being found AND causing both men a great amount of internal grief?... where does she get off doing something like that, hu?" she sniffed, shaking her head disdainfully. Faye narrowed her eyes, thinking deep, sad thoughts. Why had she told this woman Spike's life story? Was the first thing that came to mind... and then... a jolt of realization about the man's situation. Well, ex-situation. It was... a little more complicated then that. And she knew it, too.  
  
She knew Julia, nor Spike, nor practically anybody else in the world except for maybe Vicious himself, could have really found a better way out of that predicament. On the other hand, they HAD dug this grave for themselves. No one told Julia she had to have an affair with her boyfriend's partner. Just as no one had forced Spike to try to run away with the syndicate Princess. With that in mind, combined with the fact that she was terribly wasted, Faye continued her rather odd, and brainless (yet somehow... not) conversation with Sheryl or Sherry or Shelly, the random blonde (and surprisingly wealthy thanks to a lucky marriage on Mars.) ditz she had stumbled upon that night.  
  
"I know! It's just scandalous," Faye agreed wholeheartedly, shaking her head, and then stopping as the room began to spin.  
  
Just after Faye had left in a flurry from the French Restaurant, she had immediately fallen into a deep depression, moping around the streets filled with lots of people who were all apparently richer, happier, and less obsessed with dead people than she was. After a certain amount of sulking, she had decided to knock herself out of her stupor by finding the nearest bar and getting thoroughly hammered. True, it wasn't her ideal bar, a little too fancy, and little too upper class for her taste, on one of the upper floors of her ritzy hotel... but it made a wonderful mimosa and would just have to do.  
  
After a few beers and a pack of cigarettes, Sherry... Sheryl had come storming in, quickly jumped onto a bar stool, ordered a round of shots, and sat there drinking like a fish under Faye's curious gaze, until Faye had quietly pointed out that Shelly was sure to keel over if she kept up like that.  
  
That seemed to be all the encouraging the rich blonde with the big boob job needed, before she hurled herself into a sob story about her husband and the 17 year old he had been having an affair with.  
  
Faye, being unusually quiet, took it all in with a slightly concerned expression. And after Sheryl was done with the water works, Faye had topped the tale with a depressing story of her own, that left Sheryl dumfounded. Even if that sob story didn't necessarily pertain to FAYE in anyway the woman could disconcert, it was impressive nonetheless.  
  
And now the duo sat there, quietly wadding in their own sorrows, Faye having traded mimosas for lots of beer some time ago, and Sherry smoking like a chimney, in a way she hadn't done for years.  
  
"And you know what else...? You know what? Even after all that..." Faye said, hiccupping lightly as she continued in a slightly more subdued tone.  
  
"What?" Sheryl asked with a slur, turning slowly to gaze at her purple haired companion, whose physique was not only natural, but rivaled her own.  
  
"I still loved him..." Faye said in a soft whisper, so that only her ears could hear the raw confession.  
  
"Hm?" Sherry asked, cocking her head, and then quickly snapping it back up again as her whole body threatened to fall off of the stool she was perched upon. "What was that? Couldn't hear you," she giggled.  
  
"She died." Faye stated flatly, louder, with apparently no remorse in her tone. "Yeah... after all that, when she and her lover boy were finally reunited... she went and got herself shot,"  
  
"No!" gasped Shelly, placing a shaking hand over her heart. "You mean... seriously?..."  
  
"Yep," Faye said, hopping off her own barstool and stretching, then just as quickly regretting the action as she saw stars.  
  
"That's sort of sad..." Sheryl admitted, turning back to her own mug of beer, and gazing into its foamy brown depths, as if it would give her an answer to all of the problems she was currently facing.  
  
"Ahh... no more saddening then yours," Faye said confidently, slapping one hand onto the woman's shoulder, and daintily wiping some peanut shells off her butt with the other.  
  
"I guess so," Sherry admitted, turning to stare at her drinking partner, looking slightly trashy with her small blue dress and now completely smeared and ruined make up. Faye winced, had she really just spent the better part of the night with this rich priss? Ah well... she supposed it hadn't been THAT bad. In fact, she had just gotten a lot off her chest! She couldn't remember the last time she had told anyone the story of Spike.  
  
"Well, gottsta head back now... you know... stuff to be done," Faye lied, thinking she really just needed to get out of the stuffy bar, and go dump the contents of her stomach into some toilet.  
  
"Yeah... yeah me too!" Shelly agreed, getting off her stool, and then wobbling around awkwardly, tripping over her own feet, which were encased in electric blue pumps. She grabbed on to Faye in an effort to keep herself steady, while Faye found herself almost falling over at the action, too. "I've... I've gotta go home and blow my DAMN husband's HEAD OFF!" she growled/gurgled, now holding onto the bar for support as she dramatically informed the entire bar of her intentions.  
  
At those words, pictures of Faye's bounty flashed through her head.  
  
"Ummm... how about not?" she suggested, once more helping the blonde to her feet. "I'm not so sure if that would go over well with the neighbors, you know?"  
  
"I... I guess you're right," Sherry said, sighing remorsefully, and looking deeply saddened by the realization.  
  
"Ummm... Sheryl?" Faye said, a flash of kindness sliding over her features. "How about I call for a car for you, hm?"  
  
"...Good idea."  
  
'I don't know what got into me back there... I was so... charitable! So kind!' Faye thought to herself as she stumbled down the street, briefly wondering why she didn't call a car for herself. Well, it wasn't like she knew where she was going now that she had left the bar, anyway... 'I mean, I'm not nice to my close friends, much less to bimbos I meet in bars!...' Faye frowned briefly, shivering lightly in the cool night breeze, still wearing her cut of jeans shorts. 'But then again, she wasn't really a bimbo. No, she was ... a nice person.' Faye's emerald eyes widened. 'Shit, I really AM going soft!... this isn't what I need,' she mentally groaned, massaging her buzzing temples with one hand.  
  
She felt like utter crap, and really needed something more than just beer in her stomach. For, besides the fact that she felt like hurling, Faye was really quite hungry.  
  
"But, what am I gonna eat with ... two dollars?" Faye mumbled sadly to herself, digging through her pocket for money left over from her adventure at the bar.  
  
Then, in an explosion of bright red, flashing lights and a waving cartoon fish from across the street, it hit her. 'Captain Tuna's Fish House!', a widely popular chain of cheap seafood... a combination which made Faye shudder unpleasantly, but she figured it was the only fast food restaurant she was going to find for some time, and she had better just suck it up.  
  
Marching unstably across the street, Faye entered the fish house, and was immediately greeted with an overwhelming smell of lots of air fresheners layered over the already gross odors of less than fresh seafood. She shuddered nauseously, but continued to bravely walk towards the cash register, glancing at the bright menus above her as she did so.  
  
"Welcome to Captain Tuna's, may I take your order please?" a pimply female teenager asked in a nasal voice, sounding as though she had asked that question far to many times in her life.  
  
"Um... yeah, I want one ... Crabby Crap Critter thingy..."  
  
"A Crabby Crustacean Kritter Cake." the girl clarified, knowingly.  
  
"Right. That. And a small Fresh French Fish's Captain..?" Faye tried.  
  
"A small box of Captain Tuna's Officially Fresh Fishy French Fries?" the girl, 'Toby', according to her tag, equipped with grinning octopus, confirmed.  
  
"Sure, whatever. And... a small coke." Faye finished, leaning on the counter and letting her eyelids droop. No use wasting precious energy on something as silly as keeping your eyes open.  
  
"You mean a Surely Super Seafood Soda-"  
  
"Yes! That!" Faye agreed, hurrying the girl off with a sharp wave of her hand.  
  
"One second, M'am." Toby replied.  
  
"Good." Faye mumbled, turning her head to the other side, in hopes of finding a breath of fresh air, only to be greeted with the sight of a dead animal.  
  
"Ah-" Faye gasped quietly, looking the deceased mink dead in the eye, its mouth forever opened in a silent scream. Faye bit her lip, and looked up at who owned such an expensive coat, and who was wearing it in such a cheap place. Personally, Faye had always wanted a fur coat of her own, but she figured if she had one, she would be wealthy enough to not have to eat at Captain Tuna's.  
  
"Hello," Faye said to the owner of the coat, a woman who was currently staring at her, contemplatively. She said nothing, simply nodded her head and then smiled in Faye's direction, picking up her fish patty, and walking of with a decidedly disdainful expression on her face now.  
  
'That woman... she looks so familiar.' Faye thought, watching the woman's long, dark blue hair retreat back to her own table. She sat down in the corner along with three other men, all wearing dark suits, and scowls on their faces. Faye squinted at the woman, trying to get a better look at her, frustrated she couldn't remember where she had seen that face before... when she saw it.... the scar... the scar down her face... Faye's eyes locked with Yoloko's for a second, before Faye gasped quietly and turned back to the register, a hand over her mouth.  
  
"That'll be 2.50 please," Toby said, sniffing loudly.  
  
"Ok..." Faye mumbled, digging even deeper into her pocket in search for fifty cents, legs suddenly shaking not because she was wasted now, but because she was a little scared.  
  
'Why, of all of the times I could have run into her, it has to be in a fast food restaurant when I'm completely drunk off my ass, and not thinking straight,' Faye wondered, looking up and cursing out any Gods who cared to listen. None did.  
  
Finally, having scavenged the needed fifty cents, and deftly handing the money over to Toby, before picking up her own tray and turning to leave, Faye found herself being drawn to the back corner, where Madame Yoloko's guards were eying her suspiciously. Faye bit her lip and stopped around six feet away from her bounty's table, shuffling her feet awkwardly.  
  
"What do you want?" one guard hissed in a deep monotone, flexing his fingers. Definitely a warning sign, but she would have none of it.  
  
"Nothing," Faye quickly replied, not sure what she was doing, but thinking of an attack strategy anyway, in her head.  
  
"You drunk?" Another asked, looking her over carefully, slowly, taking in the mussed up hair, the shaking legs, the half lidded eyes that gave the distinct impression that the lights were on but no one was home.  
  
"Yes. Definitely." Faye automatically answered, taking another step closer, money signs flashing in her eyes. This woman was worth money! Lots and lots of money! Money that could buy her fur coats and beer and a mansion on Earth... her eyes focused on the blue haired woman sitting towards the back of the group, eying Faye with mysterious, knowing eyes, that had a subtle hint of insanity to them. She licked her red lips with a smirk. She knew. She knew Faye had come for her. And Faye didn't care.  
  
Just as the guards had started to snigger about Faye's condition, thinking it quite amusing that some drunk hottie had come up to them in the dead of the night... Faye attacked. Launching herself at the five of them, and easily covering the remaining five feet separating her from her target, Faye lifted up her tray and slammed it down hard over the first guard's head. He cried out in surprise and pain, covering his face as Faye moved on to the next man, showing no real skill or tact in her approach, but a terrifying will to get what she wanted.  
  
"Die, you!" Faye screeched, her voice scratchy and over used. It was then that the remaining two guards whipped out their guns, and it hit Faye that she wasn't (for once) armed... 'Shit,' were Faye's thoughts on the matter.  
  
"What's wrong with you, you crazy bitch?" one guard growled, watching as Toby whimpered and fled from the cash register to go warn her manager. This did not bode well. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he howled, angry.  
  
Honestly not having a good answer for that one, Faye blindly threw herself at the man, showing surprising strength, and knocking the gun out of his large hand. He hissed in pain as his head snapped back into the wall behind him. The semi automatic skid to the floor a few feet off, and as Faye dove to the floor to retrieve it for herself, the last guard decided to take some initiative.  
  
"You wench!" he screamed with feeling, cocking his own gun at the bounty hunter's head, and missing as she abruptly stood, weapon in hand. She screamed in pain as the bullet went directly through her left arm, causing the gun to once again fly out of reach.  
  
Thinking fast, as only a really wounded person could do, Faye picked up her tray again, and this time hurled it at her attacker, watching in satisfaction as it hit him in the neck, and he burst into a bout of hacking coughs, quickly doubling over.  
  
Faye smirked through the haze of pain, quickly marching toward Yoloko, the epicenter of all her conscious thoughts. And just as she was two feet away... almost there!- the first guard grabbed her from behind, painfully squeezing her left arm to him so that Faye cried out in agony. The guard with the black eye sniggered, served the witch right!  
  
Yoloko, who hadn't so much as batted a lash the entire time, now smiled once more, carefully standing up, and walking forward, almost gliding up the floor, like a snake, until she was standing directly in front of the wounded bounty huntress.  
  
"I've heard of you, Faye Valentine," Yoloko said, her voice as smooth as silk, and slightly high pitched.  
  
"Wow... I'm honored," Faye said in mock awe, still managing to keep her wicked tongue, even after being shot through the arm and while pinned to a muscle of a person.  
  
"Well, I'm not," Yoloko replied simply. "I don't like bounty hunters... I don't have time to be worried about them,"  
  
"Terribly sorry about that, but it's not exactly your choice!!" Faye growled, angered at this woman's utter lack of fear or discomfort. Wasn't she an intimidating person? Didn't Faye strike fear into the very hearts of criminals all over the world? Didn't she?!  
  
"I suppose you're right," Yoloko sighed, folding her hands neatly in front of her. "But in any case, I don't think I can allow you to live, especially after this little performance, Ms. Valentine. You've been an annoying pest ever since you came to this town, and I really can't afford to have you around any more. There are too many important things happening around here just now... and you would only interfere with their ultimate success." she admitted. Faye's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You really have been a nuisance."  
  
"Good." Faye spat, glad she had been on the right trail all along, in any case.  
  
"I should think not, for you, especially," Yoloko said, snapping her fingers, as one of the injured guards stepped forward, gun in hand. Faye bit her lip as she realized what he was going to do ... how was she supposed to get out of this one!? "Say goodbye, bounty hunter." Yoloko whispered, pronouncing the last words as if they were a vile curse.  
  
Faye closed her eyes as she heard the gun be cocked at her, tensing up and hoping for a miracle as her life began to flash before her eyes... 'No! It can't end like this!!... not here, not now! Not in Captain Tuna's FISH HOUSE! '  
  
BAM!  
  
"What!?" Yoloko cried, spinning on her heal to look at the manager, who stood behind the counter now, with Toby cowering behind him. Yoloko hissed her anger as the guards now pointed their guns at the middle aged man who had shot at them. Faye let out a visible sigh of relief, watching as the manager steadily turned red.  
  
"What the hell is going on here! No violence in this restaurant, do you hear?! Now let that lady go!" the manager cried, still aiming his riffle at the group. "Or I'll call the police!" he threatened.  
  
"You heard the man!" Faye cried, gathering up the last of her strength to tear herself away from the now surprised guard, and then lifting one leg up to kick him in the face while she was still turned around. The guard sputtered in pain and collapsed to the floor once more, just as Faye grabbed her chance and racing out of the restaurant, the piercing sound of gunshots following her into the night.  
  
"Follow her!" Yoloko ordered, chasing after her guards as they all began to pursue Faye, leaving the stunned manager and a terrified Toby behind.  
  
The guards were fast but Faye was faster, even with her wounded arm, years of running away from various things having given her plenty of practice. Her breath came out in ragged pants, as one hand clasped her bleeding arm. She ran down a variety of streets and allies, turning corners whenever she could, until she was entirely sure she had lost her attackers.  
  
She skidded to a stop in a particularly dark ally, leaning against the wall and breathing towards the ground, eyes closed.  
  
Blue spots filled her vision as she felt her knees give out, the beer, shock and blood loss suddenly too much for her. She rested her head against the wall now too, a small tear forming in her eye, dripping down her face and ignoring how hard she tried to hold it back. Her wounded arm hung uselessly by her side, and she frowned through the pain.  
  
"Valentine... you are such a dumb ass." Faye croaked, wondering what had inspired her to attack four armed men and a wanted woman while she had no gun, and wasn't in the best of shape. Oh right... money... damn money...  
  
"You can say that again," a masculine voice agreed from above her.  
  
"No!" Faye rasped weakly, looking up, and expecting to see a guard grinning down at her, and with her no way to escape... but instead, she was greeted with the dark outline of a lithe man wearing a suit, his messy head of hair blowing lightly in the wind... his form incredibly hard to see for some reason... even in the dark of the night. "Please..." Faye got out, before her head lolled to the side like a broken doll's, and she completely lost consciousness, much to her chagrin. Damn... tonight just wasn't her night.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," the man sighed, picking up the woman off the dirty ground, and sauntering into the darkness. "It's not like I could just leave you here, anyway..."  
  
*  
  
Spike Spiegel was... used to be one of the greatest bounty hunters ever, in his humble opinion.  
  
He used to be a man to be reckoned with, a shadow lurking in the corners of your very house if you had a substantial enough bounty on your head. He used to be quick as a cat and just as graceful, with a punch that could put many a WWF champion to shame... But now...  
  
Now he had trouble opening doors.  
  
It wasn't as though he wasn't strong enough...No, that wasn't it. It was just that... he wasn't... exactly... solid... and his hand had the annoying tendency to phase through things when he wanted to touch them.  
  
Probably because he was a ghost.  
  
However, he COULD touch things, open doors, hold a beer bottle, even pick someone up... it just took a great deal of concentration and energy on his part, and this not only frustrated him to no end, but made it incredibly hard to defend himself or carry on with life as normal at all!  
  
Not that he would try to anyway... it was hard living an average life when no one could SEE you, after all...  
  
Unless, of course, the person had had a strong bond with him in his past life, and really wanted to see him... to believe he was back.  
  
Faye Valentine, apparently, to his great surprise, one could imagine, was one of those people.  
  
He had only planned on getting the injured bounty huntress to safety, and then seeing how things went from there, checking her for clues, or answers... but he had never expected her to SEE him!... hardly any of his friends who actually CARED about him did THAT! Spike shook his head as he finally got a firm grip on the knob, and pushed open the door, Faye's form curled up in his arms, her own limb still dripping with bright red blood.  
  
He quickly set the woman on a couch, and got a bowl of water and a cloth, planning to tend to his old... friend's... wounds while she was still out, making it that much easier for him. Spike may have been dead for three years, but the sound of Faye bitching and moaning was still etched clearly in his mind... the sheer familiarity of that action brought a wry, grudging smile to Spike's mouth, and he almost anticipated her first tantrum with giddiness.  
  
Well, you just appreciate things more, when you're dead.  
  
After struggling a bit with the wet cloth that didn't seem to want to agree with him, or his slightly transparent body, Spike finally got to cleaning Faye's bullet wound, adding some pressure to it first as the blood finally stopped seeping out of her arm and onto his clothes. He wiped away the dry, darker blood, trying to get a good look at what the bullet had done to Faye's left arm.  
  
"Good, it's a clean shot," Spike said, smiling a little, relieved he didn't have to take out the bullet himself, seeing as how that could have been a little difficult and messy with his body, and continued to finish washing the wound so he could dress it.  
  
Just as Spike had finished the worst of the work, and was concluding wrapping the bandage around Faye's thin, yet muscular arm, the slightly bedraggled woman herself woke up. She gasped a little before wincing in pain, eyes shut. Spike frowned, suddenly a little wary, and not at all sure how this was going to turn out...  
  
"Where am I?..." she gasped piteously, a bead of sweat running down her face. Spike sighed a bit and replied a damp cloth to her forehead. She nodded weakly in appreciation. "Thanks." was her hoarse reply.  
  
"You're in my hotel room." he mentioned after a moment, apparently just remembering her original question. Faye's vibrant eyes were immediately wrenched open, her dry lips slightly parted.  
  
"...Shit. Who are you?" she asked, sounding even more vulnerable now, if possible. It was sort of endearing. Spike removed the cloth, and rested his face in his hand, at her question.  
  
"Well... thing of it is, I'm not so sure you want to know." he admitted.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Why not?" Faye asked, tediously craning her neck to the side, trying to find out who her possible rescuer was. However, there was a bright light behind Spike, and it blazed right through him, so Faye had a hard time disconcerting his features, his body a blue shadow. "What's going on? Why can't I see you? Is... is that light shining THROUGH you?" she squawked, confused, unable to comprehend what was happening.  
  
"It would look that way." Spike admitted, standing a bit to the side, easing the light off himself. Faye followed his figure, watching as his features gradually became easier to distinguish.  
  
And then she realized she really DIDN'T want to know who this man was.  
  
"NO! No no no nooo!" she cried into her hands, turning on her side and leaning as far as she possibly could away from the ghost of a man who was Spike Spiegel. no longer exactly in the flesh, but something eerily akin to it.  
  
"Gee, good to see you to. How has life been for YOU?" Spike asked dryly, plopping as easily as he could without sinking through it, onto a chair, and watching Faye with a seemingly casual eye, even though he was really waiting with bated breath. After all, this woman, if she could really see him, might be his ticket to-  
  
"Go AWAY! I can't BELIEVE this! What IS this? Some sort of fucked up joke!?" Faye all but sobbed. She had just been getting over him, how dare something like this happen! How dare it! She couldn't handle this! Not now!  
  
"See, I'd really love to go away, Faye, seeing as you aren't exactly the person I want to spend my after-life with. but. I need something from you." Spike admitted casually.  
  
"Go away go away go away! I'm not listeniiinnng!" Faye sang, wrapping herself in a blanket of denial, hoping to get herself far enough away from this man, mentally, so that he couldn't hurt her. so that he would just leave and finally let her heal. Various undead veins were popping in Spike's head, and his eye twitched almost imperceptibly as he replied in the most even tone he could congregate.  
  
"It's your own fault, woman! Why do you want me to be alive!? Why do YOU have to be the one who truly wants to SEE me, eh?"  
  
"But I DON'T!" Faye insisted vehemently. "Where did you get THAT idea you lunk head!" she screeched. The antagonizing name was so utterly familiar to Spike, that a flash of warm nostalgia raced through him, and he was tempted to actually embrace it. He shook his head.  
  
"Yes. Yes you do. There can be no other reason for you to be able to see me. No one else could! And trust me, I've tried EVERYONE else. You're the only one who either doesn't want me to be gone, or hasn't yet laid my memory to rest." he said in an even, factual tone.  
  
"That can't be true. that can't be true." Faye chanted, tears stinging her eyes. "I WANT you to be gone so BAD, I CAN'T be the only one who can see you!" she gasped. Spike's eyes hardened.  
  
"But you are. Now. I saved your life just now. Again. For about the 100th time since I've met you. So now you owe ME something, and it's time to pay up." He stated, leaving no room for debate. Faye gave him a despairing look, before fainting once more, face first onto the couch.  
  
"Shit." Spike swore, getting up and stomping over to the mini bar of the vacant hotel room he had claimed as his own.  
  
Notes: Revvviieewww! Reviiiewww! Please! I really want comments on this one, and so far I haven't gotten so many. maybe it was the lame summary. In any case, stay tuned for the next chapter, of which I have not yet named!  
  
Rio Grande (papaya41@aol.com) 


	3. The Trouble With Spike

Hey all, and welcome to chapter two of my Cowboy Bebop fic! First off, I'd like thank you all for the great reviews, I really enjoy getting them. Secondly. (Really important crap right here!!) I'd like to mention that I've never actually heard of/read 'Ghost'. Apparently, my fic has an uncanny similarity to this story, and I really hope that this doesn't turn many people off from my own story, since I really had no inkling of an idea that there was another story like mine out there. Not that I didn't have my suspicions. I mean, a fic where Faye's in trouble, and Spike's tormented spirit in limbo comes to help her out? Yeah, I had a feeling It had been done. But hopefully, you can over look all that and just enjoy the story!! Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. (And if I did, why would I be writing a fic about it?)  
  
O, My Troubles With God  
  
By Rio Grande Chapter Two: The Trouble With Spike.  
  
* Faye shifted from foot to foot uneasily, staring intently at Spike's back as he bustled around the kitchen and prepared breakfast for her. earlier, she had firmly convinced herself that this all was purely a stress induced dream, and that if she just played along, she would, inevitably, wake up, and everything would be peachy keen perfect again.  
  
"You like your eggs scrambled, right?" Spike asked from the kitchen, making sure that the past ten minutes hadn't been a waste.  
  
"You remembered." Faye said, her voice emotionless. Spike rolled his eyes; she was obviously still in shock. Well. he supposed he could understand that. He had Faye had just recently had a very serious and wholly disturbing conversation, concerning his present state, and what he planned to do about. Not to mention how she was going to help. He didn't know how he'd be reacting if the situations were reversed, in all honesty.  
  
* (A LITTLE WHILE AGO.)  
  
"You see Faye, I'm sort of stuck in limbo," Spike stated, getting right to the heart of the matter.  
  
"Limbo? Oh. That's perfect. Bloody perfect!" Faye groaned, shaking her head. "And so like you,"  
  
"Oh, sorry, I guess this is all MY fault then, is it?" Spike spat, angrily. Faye shot him a look that plainly stated that well, yeah, it was. HE had gone and gotten himself shot, and now HE had some unfinished business and was now stuck on the mortal plain. How was in NOT his fault? Spike scowled but continued on anyway.  
  
"See, I would really like to just let my soul rest in peace, but something's holding me back. Something here on Earth that I haven't finished with yet. well, it's either that or there is someone who can't afford to have me die yet," he said.  
  
"Which do you think it is?" Faye asked, in all seriousness. She was still sitting on the couch, having just recently re-awakened from her latest fainting spell, and Spike had wasted no time filling her in with all of the tedious little details about his current. Best to get this out of the way.  
  
Spike didn't say anything for a moment, head turned to the side, as he pondered her question. Truth be told, he HAD thought about that one quite a lot, and hadn't come up with a solid answer yet.  
  
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I want to think it's someone else who needs me. but I have a feeling that it's just me having some unfinished business."  
  
"Well, wouldn't you remember if it was YOU having some unfinished business." Faye asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"It's not that easy. I did so many things here on Earth, so many regrettable things. any one of them could be tying me to this place. I just don't know which one."  
  
"How do you figure that? How do you know ANY of this for that matter? You seem to be pretty well informed Spike, but how do you really know any of this for a solid fact?" Faye asked, her voice picking up an edge of hysteria.  
  
"She told me," Spike said simply, folding his arms and sitting in the chair across from Faye once more.  
  
"She?" Faye asked, even though she had a pretty good idea what dead person would have been talking to Spike.  
  
"Julia." Spike said, his eyes suddenly becoming hard, unreadable. So cold. Why did he always close himself off when it came to her? Faye resisted flinching at the sound of that troublesome woman's name. She didn't think Spike would like it. "Heh.I was so ready to see her, so ready to be with her again." His voice was melancholy, and closed off. "But. but she told me there was something tying me to Earth, and I couldn't go to her yet. but, if I resolved everything, maybe we would be together forever." He whispered. Faye widened her deep, turquoise eyes. Spike hardly ever shared things like this with her when he was alive! He was the man of mystery, and she was always left in the dark! But here he was. spilling his guts. "Faye," he said quickly, head snapping up to stare Faye square in the eye. Faye quivered under his intense gaze, so filled with powerful emotions Faye never even hoped to understand half of. "You HAVE to help me. I've been everywhere on this cursed planet in the past three years. and no one else has been able to see me, and no one else has given me any clues!" he said, his voice hard and determined.  
  
"I'm giving you clues?" Faye asked.  
  
"Well, not yet, but, since you're the only one who can see me, you're a good start. Besides, you can help me pursue my answer," Spike said, as if this were obvious.  
  
"How?" Faye questioned. She didn't like the idea of getting mixed up in Spike's unfinished business. SHE didn't want to die TOO!  
  
"Well, you can ask people questions for me, be my voice!" Seeing the hesitant expression on Faye's face, who obviously didn't want to be his medium, he continued on. "Jeez Faye, stop being so selfish! I'm not even asking you to put your life at risk here, just ask some questions that I can't! I saved you, remember? I told you you owed me, and I meant it. You've got to pay up."  
  
"God Spike, this is to freaky! Don't make it any harder! You're scaring me!" Faye admitted, getting to her feet and throwing her blanket to the floor, eyes blazing.  
  
"What right do you have, just coming back here now, messing everything up, frightening me half to death and then demanding favors!? You're always like this, thinking of yourself first! Whatever helps to put YOUR soul at rest, whatever helps rid you of YOUR tormented past, well, we all have to help. Have to stand by and WATCH as you mess yourself up! You were always like this, and now, even in death, you haven't changed!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes unknowingly as she thought about Spike's last moments with her, before he went and got blasted to pieces by Vicious. she had been so mad! How could he do this to her!? To the Bebop!? Spike watched his old friend (could he really call her friend?) rant out her fears and anger silently, arms still folded in front of him.  
  
"You're really one to talk about being selfish, Valentine." He reminded the woman calmly, once he was sure she was done with her tirade. Faye's lips trembled at his words, and she sunk back onto the couch, knowing he was right.  
  
"Well, at least I don't hurt my friends with my decisions. At least I don't die on them," she said, coldly.  
  
"Oh come on Faye, if you had a chance to make things better, to tie up your loose ends, to stop the questions. don't tell me you wouldn't have done it. Even if I was still alive, even if we were all still on the Bebop, would you not have taken that risk?" Faye didn't say anything. "I'm sorry I died like that. I know it had a humungous effect on you guys. I WATCHED you break up, everyone go their separate ways. but. don't let that blind you. I'm asking for your help, so don't be so bitchy about it!" he snapped, his temper finally getting the better of him. Faye made a hissing sound, and she lowered her head. This wasn't going the way she had imagined it.  
  
A million and one times, she had day dreamed about meeting Spike again, (of course, in all of these fantasies, the man was actually ALIVE again. maybe he had been in a coma, lost on some colony and just waiting for her to find him.) and she always won the argument. He always ended up breaking down and saying he was so sorry, please forgive me, I'll make it up to you, we can go back to the way things were. of course, if that ever happened. it wouldn't be the real Spike. THIS was the real Spike. His logic, his infuriating way of being right, more proof than she honestly needed, that this was indeed her old comrade, back again.  
  
After an extended silence that left the couple dwelling over sorrowful, old things they had never wanted to dwell upon again, Faye finally spoke up, effectively hiding her sniffles.  
  
"Ok. Ok. I'll help you. but. I do have a bounty, here on Mars, and I want you to help me find it, first."  
  
"Excuse me? Are we making a deal here?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought the idea was, help your old buddy because he's DEAD and wants to get into heaven. especially after he just saved your ass a few hours ago."  
  
"Saved my ass?" Faye repeated. "I'm still shot up, you didn't save me from those big idiots when they were attacking me, did you?" she reasoned, much to Spikes chagrin. He couldn't BELIEVE this woman! "Besides, I still need to make a living. Staying on Mars is quite expensive, and I'm low on money. I was depending on this one Spike, I NEED to bring her in."  
  
"I can't believe this." Spike said, voicing his thoughts. "But. okay, fine. We capture your bounty, and then you have to agree to come with me and try to get me off of this planet. Deal?" Faye took in a breath, feeling slightly lightheaded, but once again confident now that she was back to her old self.  
  
"Deal," she agreed, taking his head, morbidly fascinated as she found it was indeed solid, but so cold. the shook hands firmly, and Spike had a grim smile on his face.  
  
"Good to be working with you again, Valentine." He said, all the while wondering if he really meant it.  
  
*  
  
After that little episode, Faye and fallen asleep again, totally conked out thanks to the painkillers she had been taking. When she had awoken again, there Spike had been. making breakfast. and she couldn't even be sure that the entire conversation had actually taken place, or if she was just making everything up. She decided to assume it had. It would be just like her life, in any case.  
  
"So, what are we going to do with this woman, anyway? This bounty your after. I'd like to get her out of the way quickly, if you please." Spike said, casually.  
  
"Well so would I! But it's not that easy. She's clever. I've been searching for her in this town, and I just found her last night. She has some means ass body guards with her, and they beat me up pretty good," she admitted.  
  
"So I see." Spike said, scraping the eggs off the pan, and plopping them all onto a plastic plate next to him. Faye had never seen the man actually cook before, but she supposed being dead and very desperate did odd things to a person.  
  
"I was so thrilled to actually find her, I sort of screwed myself over, and was really stupid. I was also pretty drunk." Faye sighed, rubbing her forehead as she belatedly remembered JUST how dim-witted she had been.  
  
"Sound like you really have things under control around here," Spike mocked, picking up the plate, a fork placed on it, and bringing it to Faye. Faye glanced up at him, pleased and surprised, not sure what to expect, and found only innocence in his eyes. Well, innocence was too strong a word. She was sure Spike had never actually been innocent in his entire life, but, unassuming kindness was definitely there!  
  
"Thanks," she said, accepting the eggs, and sitting back down. Spike nodded once, and walked off to go check on the coffee. Faye shook her head in disbelief. She was starting to like this dead version of Spike better!  
  
"You were always so crude with your plans. It's really a good thing I'm here to help you catch this one."  
  
And then again.  
  
"Well Spike, we do have some things to consider here!" Faye said, startling herself as she began to talk about plans and problems and the like. She was usually the one to rush blindly in! "Like, why does she have those body guards with her? Why is she staying in this area, leaving herself open for attack by eating at a fast food restaurant!? And why has no one been able to catch in her the past year almost?" Spike poured the steaming, dark coffee into a mug, and Faye resisted the urge to drool, its comforting smell wafting over to her as she greedily ate her eggs.  
  
"Those are all good questions Faye, but, I would have hoped you had been able to figure those out on your own by now," he reprimanded.  
  
"Well I can't! The woman's almost elusive as you are!" she cursed. Spike didn't know if he should take that as a compliment or not, so he settled for shrugging and walking back over to Faye, mug in hand.  
  
"Why are you after her then, if she's such a hard catch?" he asked, sipping from the mug. and stunning Faye as she watched him obviously NOT hand over the coffee to her. That dirty JERK! She wanted her COFFEE! Seeing her hungry stare, Spike shot a look that plainly said, 'Go get your own.' Still to drowsy to move, Faye felt the urge to burst into tears.  
  
"She's worth 15,000,000! The family of her husband is paying big money to get this woman to justice after she killed the guy and their two sons." Faye explained.  
  
"Eck. Sounds messy." Spike said, scrunching up his nose. "She seems pretty insane, are you sure you want to go after this one?" he asked.  
  
"Positive. I've put too much time into her to back down now. And especially after what she did to me. she mentioned some things when I saw her at Captain Tuna's."  
  
"You fought with her at CAPTAIN TUNA'S?" Spike asked, holding back a bark for laughter. Faye glared at him.  
  
"Shut up. Anyway, she mentioned something about how big things were going down. that I would be in the way. She's obviously not leaving, and she's obviously up to something around here," Faye surmised. "Something bigger."  
  
"Which means she'll be looking out for you. She wants you dead now."  
  
"Yeah, I guessed that."  
  
"Jeez Faye, how do you get yourself into these things?" Spike sighed, trying really hard not to let the coffee cup faze through his fingers.  
  
"Oh yeah, coming from the undead spirit? Riiight." Faye snorted, disgusted. Spike actually chuckled lightly at that one. He tended to agree with the purple haired gypsy on that one.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am sort of out of bounds there." Faye looked mildly startled that he was agreeing with her, but was blissfully silent. "Valentine, as soon as you're up and about, we're going to go catch that woman and get the hell out of here. Maybe stop by the Bebop and get some answers. I don't think I can take to much longer on this freaking level of existence." Faye stared at him, her hands limp in her lap, her blanket draped haphazardly around her.  
  
"You really miss her, don't you?" she asked quietly. Spike glanced up at her sharply, his mismatched eyes flashing.  
  
"Well, what do you think," he asked sharply. Faye closed her eyes.  
  
"I don't know what to think." she admitted. "I'VE never been in love before," she added. Spike snorted.  
  
"Haven't you?" Faye raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No, I haven't," she stated again. What did he mean by that. Spike slowly stood up and walked over to a window. It was raining out, and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants.  
  
"Well. let me tell you, you're not missing out on much." He informed her softly. "It's all right when nothing's wrong, being in love with someone. But. the second something happens. it's like walking through a never-ending nightmare. All you want is the best for that person. All you want to do is help them. but, usually, they need to be the ones to help themselves. And that just KILLS you. It KILLS you that there's not one damned thing you can do to make it easier for them." Faye listened to him intently, not saying anything as she realized that's usually how she had felt about Spike, when he had been alive.  
  
*  
  
"Mr. Lincoln. I don't think you're seeing the very REAL seriousness of this problem." Madame Yoloko commented, leaning over Mr. George Lincoln's desk, and placing her face in one thin, creamy smooth hand. She smiled her most charming, deathly frightening smile, and Mr. Lincoln shrunk back into his seat, sweating profusely, and shaking like a rabbit that was being cornered by a fox.  
  
Mr. Lincoln was a short pudgy man, with a balding head, and a notorious, lecherous streak, that was just about as large as Yoloko's killing one. He was fairly loaded, and lived comfortably on Mars. He also happened to owe Yoloko a lot of money.  
  
Her three ever present guards, now looking slightly less threatening due to an array of bandages and bruises scattered about their body, thanks to that bitch of a drunk they had met the other night, stood behind the woman, keeping a close eye on things. Not that Mr. Lincoln was going to try something. That man had less of a backbone than a slug.  
  
"-I-I. I understand. v-very well. Ms. Yoloko." he wheezed, wringing his hands together. "And, and I'll have the money for you, soon, yes, very soon! Just give me some time!" he squeaked pitifully.  
  
"Time is one of the only thing I most definitely don't have an abundance of, Mr. Lincoln. I was depending on that money, George! I need it! And YOU are going to pay up." She darted forward and grabbed him by the tie, pulling him in close so he got a clear view of her eyes, which were gleaming viciously, and did nothing to hide her insanity. He gulped. "Or else." she finished softly. Letting his head snap quickly back when she released his expensive silk tie, she hopping off the table gracefully, letting one of her guards hand her a cigarette, the other a lighter. She lit up quickly, glancing briefly at the pathetic heap of a man who had collapsed into his chair, and was now hyperventilating. Yoloko took a drag, and grinned broadly, showing all of her teeth, which looked suspiciously like fangs on her.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then, Mr. Lincoln. Have a wonderful day!" and then she slipped out of the room, like a wisp of smoke, silently slithering down the halls, her guards at her sides.  
  
Once he was positive she was gone, Mr. Lincoln collapsed onto his desk, head in his hands, and wept openly. He was sooo screwed.  
  
*  
  
Two days later, Faye found herself on the streets again, walking casually down one particularly sunny one, an invisible Spike at her side. She folded her arms self-consciously, feeling a little foolish walking with a man of whom no one else could see. After a few unsuccessful attempts at starting a conversation, Spike got the hint that she didn't want to talk to him in public. Being considered a loose woman, she could handle, being considered a loony who talked to herself, would not and did not work with her personality.  
  
"Jeez Faye, I'm feeling kind of ignored here," Spike joked, his wicked sense of humor quickly returning after it was clear that Faye was going to make a full recovery, her arm healing beautifully.  
  
"Good," she snapped irritably, and stomping into a drug store. A spotless, shining and healthy looking drug store, of course. The only kind they allowed in towns like these. 'Tom's Pharmacy', was what it was called, with bright, clean shining letters. Tom, the elderly man who owned it, was one of Faye's only contacts in this dreaded town, and even then, he often failed to have a great deal of valuable information. Ah well, she was pretty desperate at this point in time, anyway. Spike had made it exceedingly clear he wanted to be done with this, and fast. Time to get her ass moving on this one.  
  
"You say this guy is going to have information for us?" Spike asked skeptically, scratching his head and looking at the hunched over man with the red baseball cap, who sat on a stool behind the check out counter. A woman in a pair of khaki pedal pushers thanked him politely for the stick of gum she had just bought, and then quickly exited, shooting a speculative look at Faye as she did so. Faye glared back. Piss off! So what if my clothing isn't Banana Republic!  
  
Old Tom himself looked up, glancing at Faye with twinkling old eyes and a face made out of wrinkles, his fake teeth very white. Faye grinned, and he paled a bit, much to her confusion. He usually wasn't that unhappy to see her! Oh, why did she have this effect on people?  
  
"Oh he's eager to talk to you," Spike joked as Faye leaned over the counter, watching, amused, when Tom shrank back.  
  
"Hey Tom," she said in her most friendly voice.  
  
"H-hello, Faye," Tom said, nervously. Faye frowned lightly. Spike was right. This man was NOT happy to have her in his store. What was going on?  
  
"Tom, I was wondering. if you knew anything more about that woman we had discussed earlier." Faye said pleasantly, slipping a fifty over to the man. Tom looked down at the money. He practically began to salivate just staring at it.but he held back. Faye raised an eyebrow. Hu?  
  
"I don't like this." Spike murmured quietly. Something smelled funny here.  
  
"Faye. Faye I just don't have anything." Tom said in his raspy voice, after a moment, and regretfully sliding the fifty back over to her. Faye snatched the money up, no use wasting it! But she looked critical nonetheless.  
  
"Nothing?" she questioned. She had assumed there would be SOMETHING, anything, after she had met the damned woman in Captain TUNA'S, for Christ's sake! "You positive?"  
  
"Yes. Definitely positive. Now. now you should go." He urged, shooing her along.  
  
"Go?" she asked. "Tom, is something wrong. Is there something you need to tell me?" she asked. She hadn't known this man for long, but she knew enough to know when he was hiding something. Something important.  
  
"He's keeping something from you," Spike commented, master of the obvious.  
  
'No shit, Sherlock,' Faye wanted to snap, but held back. That would NOT have encouraged Tom to let her stay.  
  
"Listen Faye, just go! Get out of here all right, you're sticking your nose in things you shouldn't be!" he growled suddenly.  
  
"What?" Faye asked, eyes wide. Had Yoloko threatened Tom? What in the Hell was going on!  
  
"FAYE!" she heard Spike yell off to her side. But before Faye could react, something cold and solid was pressed against the back of her head. She gasped and stood up straight. Someone was holding her at gunpoint.  
  
"Do as the nice old man says, Ms. Valentine." A cold, masculine voice instructed from behind her. Faye bit her lip. She didn't recognize this voice. It didn't sound like a guard of Yoloko's. It was too. refined.  
  
Green eyes darting back over to Tom, Faye mentally cursed when she saw that the old, sniveling coward had abandoned her already, his stool rolling around on the ground. A sudden muffled, choking noise from behind, alerted her to the fact that Spike had not.  
  
"WHAT?" the man who was holding the machine gun to her head roared, swinging around, and showing Faye, to her horror, that he was not alone, but had brought three of his buddies along with him. They all street clothing with black trench coats and 'menacing' black ski masks. Faye let her frown deepen. Street clothes? What was this? These were surely not Yoloko's men. on the other hand, she didn't need a NEW enemy, so she hoped they were!  
  
The man holding her tightly to him looked on his morbid fascination as two of his accomplishes were grabbed by the scruff of their necks, and banged together head on, by an invisible attacker. Faye took advantage of his shock, and elbowed him hard in the ribs. He sputtered and dropped the gun. Faye then delivered a round house to his stupid little face, and he was out.  
  
Just as Spike delivered the finishing punch to the last man standing, who ever stood a chance to Spike ANYWAY, huffing and puffing, (apparently fighting took more than a little out of him) Faye leaned down to rip the ski mask off the face of her assailant, eager to know more. Unfortunately, the man behind the mask was no one she knew. Just some random shmuck who looked as though he would fit in perfectly were she to see him walking down the street outside! Creepy.  
  
"Faye!" Spike hissed, sweat pouring down his face. "We have to leave!" he wheezed.  
  
"Hu?" Faye looked up, suddenly realizing that red lights were flashing around the room, and that there was a cop car waiting outside the store. not to mention a few cops about to enter the pharmacy. Oh no. She did NOT need this.  
  
"Let's leave this jerks to the cops!" she suggested, motioning to Spike to follow, even though she knew no one would care if HE was found on the scene. She raced towards the back entrance of the store, through a little door next to the counter. Speeding through the tiny, dusty storage room it entered into, and then finally out into the sunlight of an alley she stumbled out onto, Faye let out a breath of relief. From there she used the intricate (though far too clean for her tastes) system of back alleys to travel back to her hotel room, cursing her bad luck. It was JUST like her to get jumped by a bunch of random locals with expensive machine guns. Humph.  
  
"I can't believe that!" Faye cried, once in the safety of her own hotel lobby, Spike reclining happily on a leather seat that was offered. Faye stood in front of him, venting out her frustrations. He appeared to be listening with only one ear. "And Tom KNEW it too! He knew something like that was going to happen, you could tell! But how? And why? What have I done to get the natives angry? I'm just a bounty hunter, and with Yoloko on Mars, they've seen plenty of us around! I have not exactly been disturbing the peace or anything, either." she sniffed.  
  
"How about the fight at Captain Tuna's?"  
  
"A rare exception."  
  
"Maybe too much for the good people of Mars. You should watch your back Faye, these people don't know the bounty hunter way. They don't realize we are above any and all laws ever created in the history of man." Faye had to smirk at that, folding her arms, amused. At least no one had been hurt, right? All though. Spike didn't look too good.  
  
"Hey, are you going to be okay?" she asked, showing a flash of concern. "You look sort of worn out."  
  
"I haven't tried to make that much physical contact with someone in a long time," Spike admitted. Fighting takes a lot out of me."  
  
"So I see," Faye agreed, thinking it was a little depressing that this is what the great Spike Spiegal had been leveled down to.  
  
"Ma'am..?" A nervous bus boy questioned, walking up to the attractive woman.  
  
"Hm?" Faye asked.  
  
"Can I. help you with something?" Faye was a little confused by his wary tone, until she realized that he couldn't see Spike. Doh! She had almost forgot!  
  
"Er, no! I was just, um." she fumbled around for a valid excuse for talking heatedly to herself, while Spike chortled with amusement. What could he do, he was just an innocent ghost. Faye's eyes lit up. Ah ha! "I was just talking on my cell phone," she explained knowingly, patting her definitely empty pocket of her denim mini shorts as though there was a cell phone somewhere in there. Ha. The boy seemed to like this answer though, and smiled, relieved, sauntering back to his post. Faye sighed. Okay. Time for a nap.  
  
"Good job," Spike acknowledged with a grin on his face, as the duo traveled over to the elevator. "I thought he was going to have you committed."  
  
"Shut up," she hissed quietly, massaging her temples. Honestly!  
  
Notes:  
  
Sorry this took a bit longer then the other chapters to come out, but, you know, times are tough. Midterms among other things are higher on my list of priorities than fan fiction right now (GASP.) but I would still REALLY appreciate some reviews! They would definitely encourage me to right, oh dedicated readers!  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Rio (papaya41@aol.com) 


	4. The Good People Of Mars

Hey all, welcome to chapter three. While I would really like to thank everyone who reviewed chapter two, (I love you all! Marry me!) (. I was kidding about the marriage thing.) I'm also really hurting for reviews. I've been having a writers block lately, and they realllly encourage me, I swear it.  
  
In other news, I have the outline for this story all planned out, and am currently in shock over my own genius. You're going to LOVE this one, folks. I can just smell it.  
  
I don't own Cowboy Bebop, and please enjoy the show.  
  
O, My Troubles With God. (Has anyone gotten the fact that the title is a song?)  
  
By Rio Grande  
  
Chapter Three: The Good People of Mars.  
  
  
  
"Mornin'" Spike said, rustling his newspaper, and addressing Faye jovially that fine Saturday morning.  
  
Faye made a guttural grunting sound as she stumbled into the room, that could have been a response, but just as well might not have been, automatically letting her feet take her over to the coffee machine of her hotel room. Damn, staying in this place was getting expensive, and she was running out of money from the last big haul she'd had, on a particularly good bounty named 'Fast Hands Harry'. (We're not going to discuss how she had caught him. We're just. not.) She had been thoroughly proud of herself when she hadn't instantly spent all of the reward money on gambling, but her elation was quickly converting over to horror as she realized she was down to her last few woolongs, and it wouldn't be long until she couldn't afford to keep up the rich lifestyle she was maintaining. Three more days, it looked like. Shit.  
  
Mulling over these thoughts as she poured herself some coffee, Spike, who was used to Faye's wretched morning attitude, commented lightly from his chair:  
  
"Hey, did you know that Lincoln and Co is filing for bankruptcy?"  
  
"No! You don't mean that oil company owned by George Lincoln?" Faye croaked over her steaming mug of coffee.  
  
"That's the one. Hmm, how the mighty have fallen," the lanky man commented, diving back into his paper, not bothering to check up on the double meaning of his statement, and leaving Faye to scheme up a new way to get fast cash. She had a sinking feeling that she couldn't depend on Yoloko's bounty to get her through the next three days. That woman was too sly! She had already struck fear into the hearts of obviously a lot of good connections in the area, possibly started her very own gang of civilians to keep a look out on things for her, and had something bigger going on in the background that Faye just couldn't figure out. If so many people were protecting her, instead of trying to turn her in. it must be important. Faye was stumped. Hmph. She wished Jet were here, he was always the thinking man.  
  
But, Faye's eyes got kind of all misty like when she thought about Jet, and Ed and Ein and the Bebop, so she quickly just stopped thinking about them, throwing her empty cup in the sink for the maids, and swiftly heading back to her room to get dressed. It was no use dwelling over THEM. That chapter of her life had ended, a bit regretfully, even she'd admit it, a long time ago. To try and reopen that part of the book would just be foolish, since she'd already read it, and had to work towards the ending of the story, instead of retracing her steps.  
  
Spike briefly glanced up from his newspaper. He was pretty interested in what the living were up to, for being dead and all.  
  
"You going somewhere?" he asked, watching her pull out a fresh pair of clothes in her room. She peeked at him, before getting up to close her door. Ghost or not, Spike would not get the privilege of watching her change. In fact, no man had, it quite a while. And Faye really wasn't bothered by it. which actually did sort of bother her. SHOULDN'T she be bothered by it?  
  
"Yeah, I'm going to do some more surveillance on Yoloko's case," she said, slamming the door shut. Spike sighed, it's not as though he really would have looked. Besides, if he wanted to see her, he could just stick his head through the door, anyway, and she'd never know...  
  
"What surveillance? You don't know where she is," he pointed out, rolling his eyes.  
  
"No, but I can take a peek in those jerk's houses who tried to kill us yesterday," she said from her in room.  
  
After nearly having her head blasted off yesterday, Faye had sent Spike down to the police station to see what the fate of the men who had been caught by the police was. They had been all unconscious on the floor of Tom's Pharmacy, so the police took them in easily. detaining them for a total of four hours before their rich ass families got them off on bail, was what Spike reported.  
  
Apparently these men were some of the wealthiest in the already really wealthy Mars' neighborhood.  
  
Which made Faye and Spike very curious. Just what were they doing getting tangled up with twisted people like Yoloko? These men were well known, respected, and probably some had good families. Why stake their reputation to keep one very incessant bounty hunter off the homicidal maniac's back? What was in it for them? Faye had a feeling it had to do with that secret operation Yoloko was obviously pulling the strings on behind the scenes. and if only she could figure out what it was! She shook her head with frustration, pulling on her black tube top, and grabbing her jacket on the way out.  
  
"All right then, I'll go too. But I don't think we're going to find much. Except you might get arrested for sneaking onto their property," Spike commented lightly, coming to the end of the paper. He had been awake long before Faye, on account of he really didn't feel the need to sleep anymore, since his death.  
  
Spike glanced up again as the woman exited her room. She was wearing light jeans mini shorts with suspenders, a black tube top, a red jeans jacket, red sneakers, and a healthy amount of eyeliner, with matching red lipstick to go with her jacket and shoes. Stylin'. Or not. Yep, Faye definitely hadn't changed overly much in the past three years.  
  
Faye gave Spike the once over as well, as he stood and put his newspaper aside. He still wore that dumb old blue suit and yellow shirt, and his hair looked as though he STILL hadn't brushed it in years. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and flicked a tendril of short purple hair back behind her ear. Yep, Spike definitely had changed overly much since he'd died.  
  
And about that whole death thing. Faye had recently decided that she was okay with it. Well, she could deal with it, at least. This was Spike Spiegel they were talking about here. Him coming back from the dead was a daily occurrence it seemed, even if, this time around, he really WAS dead, and just visiting. Nothing to worry herself over. nothing to stress out about. At least she had him back. Wait, what was she saying? It wasn't as though she really ENJOYED his company, or felt SAFER with him around, or anything! God, who cared about him, really? He was just going to help her get her money, and then she was going to repay him for 'saving her life', that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. The days when she reminisced about Spike were long gone, she assured herself.  
  
Faye sighed and grabbed her key card, a list of names of the men who had jumped her in the pharmacy, and stuck a semi automatic in the back of her shorts, where her jacket safely hid it, as she left. Spike drifted lazily though the door after her. That man was going to be the death of her. But she'd be damned if she let HIM in on that little bit of knowledge. He'd probably get a good laugh out of it.  
  
*  
  
Yoloko looked up at the bright morning sky, the same sky Spike had found himself contemplatively looking out into, earlier. She sighed, feeling the sun bask her body in light. The guards were all outside her room now, and she finally allowed herself a bit of privacy. She wasn't a particularly strong, or athletic person, and she knew what sort of money she had on her head. Keeping herself flocked with robotic like bodyguards was the only way she felt safe anymore, but sometimes. sometimes she just wanted to be alone.  
  
Opening her arms up, she embraced the day, closing her eyes, and letting memories flood in. Memories. They were a dangerous thing. Especially good ones. Bad memories she could handle, bad memories fueled her desire to continue with her slightly scrupulous job, and be the person she was. But good memories. good memories were painful and upsetting. Raw, unhealed, maddening. Who needed them, anyway?  
  
If she dwelled too much on the good things she used to have, the good times she used to have, that little nagging voice in the back of her head would guilt trip her to the point of insanity, and she'd probably send herSELF to a mental institution. She'd done too many horrid things in this lifetime already, to turn back, and try to make things better, to start over. It was too late for her, and she'd be damned if she'd let herself cave in to the guilt, and throw everything away, at this point.  
  
Pondering her future, and her past, she fingered the silver, heart shaped locket that lay over her chest. She didn't know why she kept it there. All it did was remind her of the past that ate her out from the inside, and tore at her very essence every night. She supposed it was to keep a balance. To remind herself that this was who she was, this was what she did, and she enjoyed doing it, most of the time. However, it also kept her from going over the edge, from taking it to the next level and letting her sadistic state of mind become full blown madness, at which point she was sure she would foul up all of her carefully, laboriously laid plans.  
  
No. she couldn't let things go to waste. not now. Not this late in the game. She was doing so well, and if she followed the rules, it would just get better. She would be richer than a king. And nothing, not memories, not consciences, not lockets filled with recollections of her old life, and certainly not stupid, hair brained female bounty hunters, were going to stop her now.  
  
She was doing too well, and Faye Valentine was going to have to be removed from the picture. It was just too risky.  
  
*  
  
"Hey, hand over the popcorn. Spike, hand over the popcorn! Spike!" Faye said, putting her binoculars down on the tree trunk, and making a move to snatch the small bag of popcorn from Spike's hand. Deftly, he shot his hand up and out of her reach, while his other hand continued to type away at Faye's small, slightly less than efficient, laptop. The woman was definitely not a computer person, and Spike was no expert hacker himself, but he figured he could get more info on the guys they were spying on than she ever could.  
  
"Nope," Spike said, simply.  
  
"Hey!!" she growled, swinging her leg off the branch, so she could more efficiently lunge at the popcorn hording bastard, in hopes of stealing back her tasty snack. Spike grinned lightly as Faye crashed through his body, banging her head on the tree's bark behind him. Yet another one of the few perks of being deceased. "Ouch. Ouch, that definitely hurt. Spiiiikke!" she whined, backing up, and straddling the tree branch so she wouldn't topple off the oak and do more than bruise her head.  
  
"Smooth," Spike chuckled.  
  
"Shut up." Faye said, rubbing her forehead. "You shouldn't be teasing injured people like me! I'm still at a very critical point in my healing process, and you are not helping!" she huffed. At this Spike really did look up.  
  
"How IS your arm, anyway?" He had almost forgotten about her bullet wound, and had no idea how it was doing. She just hadn't TALKED about it much, which was surprising in itself. But, there it was, her slightly swollen upper arm, still wrapped in a white bandage of which Faye changed occasionally. When she felt like it, or had some time on her hands.  
  
"Oh, well, actually, if you're going to be serious about it, it's doing fine," the woman admitted, flexing her left arm briefly. "It hardly bothers me if I leave it alone, and I don't use this arm much in any case. I'm lucky it missed any important muscles, I suppose."  
  
"Good," he said, re-engrossing himself with the laptop. Faye sighed, so much for that fleeting moment of concern. She picked up her binoculars and continued to stare down at the large, white house beneath her, thankful for the tree's shade from the strong sun that day. It was simply sweltering out, but neither Faye nor Spike noticed it much. Bounty hunters were not made to feel little annoying things like overheating, bullet wounds, malnutrition, or head trauma. They were the master race, specially built for all kinds of hellish situations. Living on the Bebop had been enough proof of that.  
  
The first house of the four Faye and Spike had decided to hit, was Ricky Walker's. He was the VP of a very important computer software business, was extremely loaded, and lived in a house that resembled a library. The back lawn seemed to continue for miles, and surrounding it was a strategically placed clump of trees, the larger of one Faye and Spike were perched upon, spying into the windows of the house. It would be no good to ring the doorbell and check on good old Ricky at this point, since he already knew who Faye was, and probably wouldn't take kindly to finding her at his doorstep.  
  
"You find anything?" Faye asked after a minute of peering into darkened windows, and seeing nothing of interest, except for what looked like a tired cleaning lady, diligently vacuuming away at an expensive oriental rug. Hm. Guess Ricky had better things to do today then hang around the house. Maybe he had to buy a new gun after the police had confiscated his. Maybe after he bought said gun, he was going to go back out and look for Faye with his totally out of their minds buddies. The woman shuddered. Staying in this town was getting weirder and weirder.  
  
"Yeah, I've got a profile on him, but nothing all too helpful," Spike admitted, motioning for her to come over and take a look. Faye, carefully, did so, leaning over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. "He's had no criminal charges pressed against him before that that time with you, the gun he used was fully licensed, and he hasn't even been kicked off the job for the incident at the pharmacy," Spike dictated. Faye groaned and smacked her head. Ungh. And people wondered why the crime rates were so bad in small towns.  
  
"Well, what about family. Anyone in the family have connections?"  
  
"Not likely," Spike snorted, clicking on a link. A picture of a pretty woman with black hair and a frilly magenta ball gown popped up, and next to her a picture of cute little baby. "This is his family. Denise Walker, most notably known for her win in the Miss Mars contest when she was eighteen, and her community service work at local preschools. That's the daughter of Denise and Rick, three year old Annabelle." Faye sighed. And weirder and weirder.  
  
"Okay, I definitely wasn't expecting this. This doesn't look like a family who would get caught up in stuff like what Yoloko is doing! What is this place trying to do, purposely throw me off? If I didn't need this money so bad I would toss the whole case out the window." she said firmly.  
  
"And if you weren't as stubborn as a mule, and determined to figure this case out even if it means acquiring a new bullet hole in your head."  
  
"That too-Hey! Shudap!"  
  
"Why don't we get out of here? There obviously isn't anything to find by peering through windows. If they really were doing something like hoarding Yoloko, she probably wouldn't be standing around windows, anyway." Spike said, rubbing his head. He too, wanted to be off this case. He had far more important things to be doing. Like, oh, he didn't know, getting out of eternal limbo.  
  
"Yeah, you're right." Faye admitted with a sigh, tossing her head back. "This place just looks like a bitch to break into, though, and I don't feel like getting caught."  
  
"At least you can acknowledge the fact that you would,"  
  
"Are you suggesting I'm not sneaky? Not sly enough to sneak in there without getting caught?" Poker Alice asked, insidiously.  
  
"Come on, you're like, the klutz Queen when you put your mind to it. This would be more a job for."  
  
"For you!" Faye said, smiling. "No one will see you! Why didn't I think of it before! YOU can sneak in there and take a peak around! It'll be great!" she laughed, snapping her fingers triumphantly.  
  
"Oh come on." Spike groaned.  
  
"Hey, the faster we get this case done with, the faster we can investigate your little problem!" Faye reminded him, striking a low blow.  
  
"Ugh. Great. This'll be fun," Spike said, obediently gliding off the tree, and floating towards the house. Faye watched him saunter off with a frown. That was just a little disturbing.  
  
Glancing back at her pathetic little excuse for a laptop, Faye took another peak at the picture of Denise Walker. Hmm. she knew she had seen that woman somewhere before. but where?  
  
"Ohhh, I didn't know I had solitaire on this thing!"  
  
*  
  
"Hmmm. this place seems very suspicious, doesn't it?" Spike asked the maid, as be glanced at a dangerous looking collection of encyclopedias. The maid continued to vacuum diligently, neither seeing, nor hearing Spike as he quietly snooped around. "Maybe they'll be something more interesting in the bedroom. See ya later," Spike said, waving to the maid as he moseyed off.  
  
The master bedroom was, like everything else in the house, large, white, pristine, and needlessly fancy. How could anyone actually live in a place as expensive and perfect looking as this one? It just wasn't human. And how did everything stay so white?  
  
"Once again, a dead end," Spike sighed, as he skimmed through Ms. Walker's magazine collection, scavenged through Mr. Walker's closet, and checked the jewelry boxes for. what? He didn't really know what he was looking for. Anything out of the ordinary, he guessed. But, not one thing seemed out of place.  
  
Finally he reached the connecting bathroom, immediately heading over for the medicine cabinet.  
  
"What's this?" he asked quietly, reaching into the cabinet and taking out a large number of serious drugs. Prozac, organic sleeping pills, a plastic container of what looked like valium, and was that. riddilin? Er. "Riiight." Spike sighed, shaking his head. Well, these people were rich, which obviously meant they had a lot of serious mental problems, and most likely all of these things were prescription. So nothing TOO out of the ordinary there. Though the valium seemed to be stretching it, Spike let it slide, and carefully put everything back where he had found it. At least now he had something to tell Faye about, though he had a feeling she was going to be less than pleased.  
  
'If Ed were here, she would have been able to hack into some serious information on Yoloko, and we'd have had this case cracked yesterday.' Spike thought as he drifted out of the house. But thinking about Ed, and Jet and Ein and the Bebop kind of got him all misty eyed, so he quickly just stopped thinking about them. He had seen all of the Bebop crew before, around a year ago now, and they hadn't been able to see him. Which most likely meant they were all at peace with his death, and he didn't' want to disturb them. If they could let go of them, well then he could damn well let go of THEM.  
  
Though that still didn't explain Faye.  
  
"Hey! Faye!" he called up to the tall tree. A distinct 'Shhhh!'ing sound was what he could in reply, so he scratched his head and floated up to be at eye level with the buxom bounty huntress.  
  
"What's up?" he asked.  
  
"The family just got back, their Mercedes is parked in the front, and they're all heading towards the house.I'm watching them through that window." She explained quickly in hushed tones, staring furiously through a lower window that gave a good view of the front door. Spike narrowed his eyes and looked at what he could without the help of the binoculars. He couldn't see much, but he definitely could tell that Rick and Denise were talking at the door, and Denise seemed to be holding Annabelle.  
  
"They're fighting," Faye explained. "I think they're fighting.Well, at least, they're talking HEATEDLY, but I can't really tell what they're discussing. Maybe-" Before Faye could say anymore, she felt Spike lift her up from around the waist, and soon she was soaring a few yards above the ground, heading towards the front door. Faye squeaked.  
  
"Ahhh! Put me down you sonuvabitch!" she cried, scared out of her mind, and throwing her arms around Spike's neck so tight that, even though he had no blood, he could feel it begin to get cut off.  
  
"Shhh. if anyone sees you like this, questions might be asked," he replied sarcastically, putting her down behind a bush that, coincidentally, had a great view of Denise and Ricky. One could even make out tidbits of what they were actually saying. Faye was slightly impressed, but, then again, this was Spike.  
  
"I can't believe!- So irresponsible . Can't you think for yourself!?- Common sense!- Damn lucky I bailed you out- Should have let you rot in jail!-" Was some of what the two bounty hunters could make out from Denise's never ending rant. Ricky appeared to be listening to her with on ear, hands stuffed guiltily in his pockets, like a scorned child.  
  
"Hey! You were the one who saw her!- Know what she said!- Have to! Don't look at me like-! The others are fine, THEIR wives aren't-! It's no big deal. Hey! Don't cry Annabelle!" Ricky seemed to be furiously defending himself, when the little girl in Denise's arms burst into tears, awoken by all of the fighting. As she began to powerfully wail, Denise seemed to get even angrier, face red with emotion.  
  
"Now look what you-!- can't go on, I don't know why I told you I saw- This is getting bad- Clean up your act or!- Annabelle to bed," Spike and Faye made out, as Denise spun on her heal and headed for the stairs, completely unaware of the two suspicious sets of eyes, following her every move. Ricky stared after her for a second, before making an aggravated growling sound, and heading over to his blue Mercedes, hopping in and speeding off, burning rubber. He obviously hadn't liked the way that conversation turned out.  
  
"Hmmm." Faye said, standing up and dusting off her pants. "That was a little curious. And now I definitely know where I've seen Denise before, which makes everything a little weirder." she admitted. Spike stood up with her, mentally trying to put some pieces of this puzzle together, and drawing an uncomfortable amount of dead ends.  
  
"Oh yeah? Where?" he asked, heading back down the street, eager to get out of the uncomfortably ritzy neighborhood. They had some more houses to hit, in any case.  
  
"She was the woman who was staring at me funny when we first entered Tom's Pharmacy. She gave me a weird look. and then she left," Faye explained.  
  
"And right after that, her husband and his friends show up to try and scare you off," Spike added, narrowing his eyes. "Meaning that it looks as though Denise might very well be getting a bit of this action. Or at least she has a good idea of what's going on,"  
  
"It definitely looks that way from the conversation we just saw, as well. Although she doesn't seemed to thrilled about the whole idea. Especially not the part where her husband got arrested. I'm sure her neighbors are having a heyday with that one," Faye said, cracking her neck as she walked, laptop tucked under her arm.  
  
"This is getting pretty messy, and I have a feeling that a lot more people than we first assumed know what's going on with Yoloko in this neighborhood. It's like they all KNOW she's here, but don't want us to do anything about it," Spike said, sighing.  
  
"Maybe she had some family in the neighborhood? Maybe they're trying to protect her." Faye pointed out.  
  
"I don't know, it doesn't really feel like it," Spike mumbled. "On the other hand, I tried to tap into her personal files last night with this hunk of scrap metal you've dubbed a laptop, and couldn't get anything, so maybe it is. I really don't know who her relatives are, just her dead ex's family, since they're the ones offering the reward."  
  
"You know, all this mystery is really encouraging me to crack this case!" Faye sighed, aggravated. "If I left the whole thing as is now, I'd just die! I need to know what the answer is, what's been going on here!" she cried. Spike, surprisingly, nodded in solemn agreement.  
  
"I know what you mean. I really want to figure this one out too, believe it or not. That's generally not a good sign with me, too," the man said, sighing with a grim smile on his face. "Because it usually means that someone's going to get hurt, or the whole things will blow up in our faces in the worst possible way,"  
  
"Can't wait," Faye mumbled, as they walked off.  
  
*  
  
Much later that day, Faye found herself staring up at a rather posh seafood restaurant, appropriately titled, 'Fish.' Apparently the restaurant had found itself to expensive and ritzy to make up a nice, witty name. And just when she had thought she was done investigating random seafood places! What a hassle. On the other hand, she really didn't know where else to go, and the note had simply said: 'Watch the fish.' Nothing more, nothing less. Sighing, she puffed out her chest, dusted off her modest, long red skirt, and started forward. (She had actually changed into something a little more appropriate and fancy, for once, not feeling up to dealing with the odd stares. She was just too tired.)  
  
She had Spike had actually gotten around to peaking into the other three suspect's houses that day, all of which were as equally as big and innocent as the first, noting that, also, all of the men in question were out for the day. Curious. What was really frustrating though, was that none of these men seemed guilty of any crimes whatsoever! Like with Ricky, besides the eerily clean houses and perfect families, the only odd part about their lifestyles, was the impressive collection of prescription drugs, (some non per scripted) they had stashed away in their medicine cabinets. Large, plastic containers of valium seemed to be a theme. All of the men also worked for large, important companies, some for the same one, and none of them had been penalized for their actions at the pharmacy. It was just too perfect, and the two bounty hunters were ready to get out the air freshener, because something smelled like a really big, dead, decaying rat. Or fish. Something definitely smelled fishy.  
  
Then, later, leading to the reason as to why Faye was hauling ass over to yet another seafood restaurant, and Spike was back at HQ, still working away at the laptop. was because after Faye had returned to the hotel, she had gotten an anonymous e-mail. An e-mail that said simply: 'Watch the fish.' She had been baffled at first, but then she put two and two together, remembering Yoloko's seafood fetish, and decided that maybe it was another time to do her rounds with the local seafood places. The 'Fish', seemed like a capital place to start. Spike hadn't offered to go with her, so she had quickly sashayed over to 'Fish' alone.  
  
Sighing heavily, and resting her face in her hand, Faye stared out at the crowds of people, mumbling loudly around her. She told the stuffy looking waiter that, yes, she'd need a bit more time deciding on what she wanted to eat, (Especially since she was realizing she didn't have enough money to even purchase the most meager of appetizers on the menu.) and that no, she didn't want any wine. The ice water was just fine.  
  
'What am I looking for?' Faye wondered, tapping a fingers on the table in a bored fashion. 'I was in a situation like this only a few days ago, with no leads, and even now, after everything that's happened, I still feel as though I'm stuck on square one. What does the fact that there are some weird as all Hell rich people in this town tell me? Maybe they just got bored and thought it would be fun to spook the out of towner. And honestly, what does 'Watch the fish', supposed to mean? Why am I here? Do I really expect to find something?' she wondered, a small, but deep frown forming on her attractive features. 'This entire case is just going to the dogs. I thought Spike was supposed to be helping!' At this her expression softened. 'Oh, who am I kidding. He IS helping! At least, he's trying, and not being half as obnoxious about it as he would have been if he was still alive,' she stared down at her hands, having a small epiphany of sorts in her head, that very moment.  
  
'Am I being truly selfish? Keeping Spike here with me when he's a ghost, stuck in limbo, wanting nothing more to be sent to heaven to be with the woman he loves? Am I going to go to Hell for this? For keeping his tormented soul by my side just to solve this, insignificant in the scheme of things, case? Oh, God. I really am a bitch,' she summed up, closing her eyes. '.Whatever. I already knew that,'  
  
'Click.'  
  
Faye's head whipped to the side, as she heard the, always ominous, and terribly familiar, sound of the safety being taken off something, but far in the distance. Her luminous turquoise eyes searched the dimly lit premises for any guns being pointed her way. and stopped, sucking in a mortified breath, as she DEFINITLY spotted something being pointed at her.  
  
It was a freaking beam cannon!  
  
Okay, well, it was a bazooka, but that wasn't much better! Screeching in fright, and alerting other paying customers to the fact that there was a man standing just outside the window of the restaurant, sporting a large bazooka pointed at the room, or more specifically, the pretty bounty hunter who was shaking and crawling along the ground. People immediately panicked, screaming and jumping out of their seats, throwing themselves behind things, and rushing like chickens without their heads to the back exit. Faye was about to get to her feet to happily join them, when the deranged man at the window let a shot fire, and there was the sound of glass shattering, followed by a large explosion. that would have hit Faye and immediately reduced her to ashes, had she not been whisked off her feet and flung to the side with the assistance of a familiar looking, vaguely handsome man with green fuzzy hair.  
  
"Spike!" Faye croaked thankfully, her body shaking, sweat pouring down her face, chest heaving heavy, labored breaths.  
  
"Hey," he replied. "I was about to join you for dinner, when I spotted someone aiming a bazooka at the window." he explained.  
  
"Thank you." she whispered, completely meaning every word. Behind Spike, who was leaning over Faye, still sprawled on the ground, the entire wall was in flames, the tables soon engulfed as well, and sparks and pieces of burnt wood were collection on the ground, threatening to whack anyone who approached over the head with falling debris. The scene was slightly chaotic, and people were still rushing to the doors, customers and staff alike. Someone in the distance calling the cops, an act which was virtually futile, since the man with the bazooka was long gone, disappearing into the shadows, a total enigma to not only the police, but now Spike and Faye. Damn it all.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll just add it to your tab after this is over, and I drag you around the galaxy trying to figure out how to save my soul," he said, honestly. Faye snorted, but still looked thankful none-the-less. There might have even been a few tears seeping out of her big pretty eyes, even. That had been quite a shock. and he was.  
  
"Why do you always save me?" she whispered, the world drifting away, so that she was no longer in a loud, burning restaurant, but only with Spike, focusing all her attention towards the man leaning over her.  
  
"Why not?" Spike whispered back, offering no other answers. Not that night, at least. Faye found her face suddenly uncomfortably close to the dead man's, his eyes half lidded, hers rather glossy and dreamy looking. And as she felt his breath touch her lips, it occurred to her that this was probably not an ideal spot to make out in. but hell! She wasn't about to complain!  
  
However Spike seemed to be thinking along the same lines, or something vaguely akin to them, because, suddenly, he was off her, standing up and cleaning off his blue suit pants that were covered in a light layer of ash. He looked thoroughly unfazed, where as Faye was slightly floundering around, still back down, on the floor.  
  
"Erk!" she gasped, slapping one hand to her mouth as she sat up. Had she seriously just been considering kissing Spike?! Had he been about to- However, glancing at him as he looked off at the burning embers, observing the damage the bazooka had done, she highly doubted it. He didn't even look fazed! Spike only had one woman in his life. She had to remember that. She couldn't let her control slip.  
  
"Ma'am! Ma'am, are you hurt!?" a worried waiter asked, rushing towards Faye, and helping her to her feet.  
  
"No. I'm fine," she lied, rubbing her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from it. That had been very odd, and Spike was still not looking at her.  
  
"Well then we should get out of here! If the fire continues to travel, the roof could collapse on us!" the small waiter squeaked, dragging Faye towards the exit. She followed him, forcing herself not to turn around and check to see if Spike was following. She convinced herself she didn't care, either way.  
  
But she did.  
  
*  
  
Yoloko stared down at the crate in front of her, arms folded as two of her bodyguards leaned down, to try and pry the box open. The large, wooden crate was stinking the room up, and Madame Yoloko backed up further into her fancy looking living room, edging away from the stench.  
  
"Madame Yoloko!" a man, another body guard, dressed all in black and with an added ski mask, cried, rushing through the door, before stopping respectfully in front of the woman, and doing a little bow of sorts. Yoloko nodded silently, urging him to continue. She had sent this man out around two hours ago, it was high time he came back. "I found the woman, the bounty huntress, just as you asked! But."  
  
"But?" Yoloko asked, her voice quiet and as dangerously smooth as silk.  
  
"But she was at a restaurant," he started.  
  
"That shouldn't have stopped you." She said flatly.  
  
"That wasn't it," he assured her. "I aimed for her, but she just literally flew out of the way! The shot went clear through the wall behind her, and she was safe, off to the side. I don't understand how she did it! She was just standing there, and the next thing you knew, wham! She was a good six feet away!" he explained, nervously trying to explain his situation. Yoloko's eyes stayed expressionless, hauntingly empty as always, but her deep red lipped curled back menacingly.  
  
"That sounds a bit odd to me, are you sure that's how it happened?" she asked.  
  
"There were witnesses! They saw it!" he assured her.  
  
"Witnesses?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Well, no one who saw ME personally!" he added, sweating profusely now. Jeez, talking to this woman was like getting a root canal! Long and painful, and usually the dentist didn't even give you a lollipop at the end! "Just the shot, they saw the bazooka. I was gone before anyone saw me, and the cops couldn't find anything, I swear!" he explained. "No one was killed, either,"  
  
"Well that's too bad," Yoloko sighed, closing her eyes. "This bounty huntress is better at her job then we thought. At first I assumed she was just a ditz looking for cash, but now. John!" she ordered, a bulky looking guard looking up from the crate, to address her. "I want a full profile on Faye Valentine in my hands by tomorrow. I want to know everything about her. There's something suspicious about that one. it's like she's getting outside help."  
  
"Yes ma'am." The guard said, nodding, just as the crate behind him was finally pried open. In it, was revealed to be a large, wet, still fresh pile of dead, shiny blue fish. Yoloko smiled in satisfaction. Yes!  
  
*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Did you like it? Are you confused? Am I going too fast? Please tell me, I want reviews REALLLY bad!! And I'm so stressed, if I don't get any, I just don't know WHEN I'll be able to find the time to add new chapters to this fiction!. Okay, not a very scary threat, but I don't really have anything else to use against you people!  
  
-Rio Grande 


	5. Of InLaws and Brooding

Hey all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciated it mucho much. I love reviews! They rock! Anyway, so, as I was thinking over my outline for this fic, I realized I had a few problems that could be possibly fatal to the plot, but I worked them out. So that's good. However, it does make me nervous about this whole posting every chapter the very second I finish it deal, because it means I won't be able to go back and fix little details I make mistakes on once I get my work out there. And that bothers me. But it's okay, I'll keep posting, because I'm sure most of you all would loose interest if I just posted the completed Troubles With God six months from now. (Not to mention I'm a sucker for reviews.) SO! Now that I'm done with my neurotic rambling, on with the fic!  
  
*  
  
O, My Troubles With God  
  
By Rio Grande  
  
Chapter Four: Of In-Laws And The Brooding  
  
*  
  
  
  
"Twenty-two bottles of beer on the wall, twenty-two bottles of beer." Faye hummed quietly, filing her nails and letting one leg dangle leisurely off the Walker's tree, hardly focusing on the task at hand. It scarcely seemed worthwhile anymore, she had been staking out Ricky Walker's mansion (AGAIN.) for about forty-five minutes now, and, as usual, he seemed to have somewhere more important to be that day, and had dragged his family off with him, making for a very uneventful three quarters of an hour of spying on a totally vacant house.  
  
"Take one down, bash it over Spike's ugly, confusing, obnoxious, mixed messaging, nonchalant, stupid head."  
  
Faye really didn't want to be spying on Ricky's house again, hadn't planned on it, but, there she was, perched back up on the very concealing tree, alone, giving herself a home manicure. And all because of one silly death threat. Like, honestly, she didn't know what Spike was so suspicious about; she got them all the time!  
  
".Pass it around."  
  
However, when she had received an anonymous death threat taped to her coffee cup at the café earlier that morning, Spike had insisted she go back and check up on their four, dear friends again, as it looked like this was most likely their work. Typical, sloppy, and unprofessional sounding. unlike Yoloko who seemed to be more the type to just go in for the kill, if Faye had been correct in her hypothesis that it had been one of her men aiming the bazooka at her head just the other night. You couldn't GET much more direct than that! So, now Faye was back in the dumb tree again, not really planning on visiting ALL of those STUPID rich guys houses, if Ricky's seemed relatively innocent. It would just be a waste of time.  
  
"Twenty-two bottles of beer on the wall,"  
  
Besides, she had some serious brooding to do today. She had even cut away a special slot of time where she would be allowed to just mope around the hotel and BROOD. Mainly about Spike. And his infuriating tendency to mess up her life, not to mention love life. Why was he giving out such confusing signals!? And she wasn't seriously considering actually falling for Spike again, was she? It just hadn't worked last time she had, and she was seriously doubting the possibility that it would work now, seeing as how he was dead and all that jazz.  
  
She was such a dumb ass, she truly was.  
  
"Twenty-one bottles- Aw, fuck it! I don't need this! I could be back in my nice comfy bed at the hotel right now! Let SPIKE stake out all of the houses, if he's so goddamned worried about it!" Faye decided, firmly, swinging her leg back over the branch, and gathering her things. Mainly various shades of red nail polish she had scattered around the broad branch.  
  
Okay, so, she didn't want to say anything, but the death threat HAD freaked her out, just a bit. If not only because it meant someone was spying on her. Spying on her well enough to follow her to her usual café, and caring about it enough to tape a death threat to her chai latte. She didn't think they had discovered where her hotel was yet, but if they were keeping close tabs on her. how long would that last? Another day, maybe?  
  
Speaking of how long things were going to last, Faye was almost through with her once impressive amount of money, and knew her time was running out with her beloved hotel. She would soon be kicked out, on the streets, homeless, and didn't really know how she was going to continue with the case from there. She had jus assumed the darned thing would be closed by this point, and she would be carting her 15,000,000 Wong out to some colony to go be happy and rich at, by now!. She hated to admit it, but things had been easier when she just lived on the Bebop. Her own Swordtail was currently being fixed up in some shop she planned to go to when she got back enough money to claim it, and it really wasn't the type of ship you lived on, anyway.  
  
Faye let out a large sigh, digging through her pocket to get out her bottle of Aspirin-Plus, feeling another one of those lovely headaches coming on, now that her nail polish was all carefully stashed away. She had just gotten out the small, but very revered bottle, when someone's gold laden hand gripped her tree's bough, and got enough leverage to heave themselves onto Faye's own branch, taking the bounty huntress by complete surprise, and scaring her half out of her mind.  
  
"Hello," they gasped, companionably.  
  
"EEEKK!!!" Faye replied, in kind.  
  
*  
  
Spike eyed the delectable looking six-pack of beer sitting innocently in its little freezer longingly, waiting for the only other customer in the store to hurry up and purchase his damned potato chips, so that the invisible Spike could slip out the door with the beer, unnoticed. People, as he'd found it, tended to not like it when they saw their merchandise floating away from them. got 'em all paranoid and crap.  
  
Now, while Faye had intended to go broad around the air-conditioned hotel room that day, Spike had intended to go broad at a nice cheap, dark bar somewhere. However, finding, much to his dismay, that there weren't many of those in this neighborhood, and the best thing he could find being Faye's hotel's bar. Which was still pretty fancy, and he just couldn't lower himself to that level just then, though he had a feeling Faye must have, on one occasion or another. So, he planned to steal himself a six pack, and saunter on down to the park where he could sit on a bench by the fake little pond and eerily perfectly groomed ducks, and. well, broad.  
  
The elderly man finally having gone to get his chips rung up, Spike grabbed the beer and made a sneaky dash for the door, bursting into the cool morning air.  
  
While Spike may have been better at hiding is chaotic emotions than Faye was, in certainly didn't mean the man didn't have any. This is why he was going to go do his brooding, to get it all out of his system, in private. After all, for one to suggested the man wasn't the least bit fazed after nearly making out with the possibly one of the most dysfunctional women on the planet, on the ground of a burning down restaurant, would be insane! Damn straight he was freaked out, and he needed to sort his thoughts out properly if he was going to continue to work with Faye on this wacky case.  
  
He was really starting to doubt if pursuing this bounty was even worth the 15,000,000 Wongs Faye was promised. It was too. messy. Suspicious. Not that he hadn't worked on far darker cases himself, but that was different. However, he HAD made a deal with Faye, and he didn't plan to back down on it now. He'd help her turn this woman in, and, in turn, she'd have to do some soul searching with him, if he ever wanted to R.I.P.  
  
Sneaking around in the shadows, hoping no one would notice the levitating six-pack, Spike let out a breath of relief when he detected the park a half block off, quickly running into it and loosing himself in the artificial wilderness, keeping both eyes peeled for a vacant bench.  
  
Why had he done that? Why had he nearly kissed her? Why had he even had the urge to in the first place? The entire event was sort of blurry in the first place, but the ghost dimly remembered being on the floor with Faye, just after the explosion, and looking into her eyes. They were. surprising, was possibly the adjective he was searching for. And they had so spurred him to kiss her; he was hardly able to stop himself! Yee gads, what would have happened if he HADN'T? What if he had actually kissed the bounty huntress!? Deeep breaths. calming, deep breaths.  
  
All right, so, what HAD he seen in her eyes? What had been so extraordinary about the window's to Faye's soul? He remembered seeing. fear. She had been afraid, obviously. Someone had just tried to blow her to tiny, tiny bits. And that fear had made her deep turquoise orbs look vulnerable, something Faye usually was, but never actually showed. And she had been startled. She had been confused as to why Spike was there, leaning over her, and why he had come to her rescue. She had even voiced these questions, and that had made Spike (Though he would never admit it.) feel a bit crushed. A bit stupid. Sure he always acted laid-back and blasé when it came to rescuing Faye. but he always DID it. It wasn't as though he would have REALLY left her there any of those times, for dead.  
  
But had she known that?  
  
No, and, looking back on it, he hadn't wanted her to. And what had scared him in the restaurant was that, looking down on her face, that suddenly looked so much prettier than he had ever imagined it, was that he wanted Faye to know he would always be there for her. He had never wanted anyone besides Julia to know that. No one.  
  
Well, maybe someone.  
  
Maybe some peoples, more like.  
  
He would not deny that in the time he had spent on the Bebop Spike had gotten almost uncomfortably close to the crew, to the point where he would consider doing anything for THEIR safety, for THEIR well being, never thinking once about himself. Back then; it had terrified him, made the man feel as though his soul was constantly being bared. Now, since he was dead, and didn't have to worry about what the future would hold when it came to the choices he made, it just baffled him. He couldn't understand why such a ragtag crew had been so close to his heart.  
  
Had he really cared about the Bebop so much, had he really been so connected to them all? To the father figure Jet? To the girl genius Ed? To the data-dog Ein?  
  
To 'Poker Alice' Faye?.  
  
Yeah, he had. And now he felt as though the bond he was sharing with Faye was becoming something more intimate and perhaps even more romantic than he had ever seen it being. Well, that was a lie. Even when he had been alive, he had always been very aware what could have been between he and Faye, and circumstances had been different. It wasn't as though he was letting his heart lead him on a totally random and sporadic path, what he was starting to feel very acutely around Faye. had always been there. It scared him, and at the very same time he sort of felt happy about it. Warm inside. or as warm as a corpse could feel. But how could he do this? How could he fall in love with a woman who would sell her soul for the right amount of money?  
  
He didn't know how, couldn't explain it, didn't want to explain it . but . Spike realized then and there, sitting on his little green park bench with his beer and wrinkled blue jacket, that.  
  
He was falling for Faye Valentine.  
  
"Ohhhh nooo." he groaned into his palms, shaking his head. How could this have happened to him? Especially when his soul purpose on Earth was to get back to his one and only up 'there'? How when he was dead, and could never lead a successful relationship with ANYONE since when he tried to the touch them half the time his hand would slip through their body? If anything were to happen between him and Faye, not only would it be cheating Julia, who had spent a good part of her prime years being on the run from some of the most vicious men in the universe just to be dedicated to him, it would be cheating Faye too. For if she returned Spike's sentiments, which he had a feeling she did, she would never know what it was really like to be with Spike, since she would only be getting half a man.  
  
Fuck. Shit. This was bad. And he had to get her off his mind. But every time he closed his eyes, every time he let his mind wander as it pleased, pictures of her, lying there with the big innocent eyes and the pleading expression, as though she were asking him to help her, to be with her, would simply pop up and drive him crazy.  
  
Faye was killing him. Not that that was so different from what she usually did.  
  
However he couldn't let this one sit, couldn't push it to the back of his head and pretend it didn't exist, as he had done with most other problems, especially when he was alive. He was going to confront Faye about it. Yep. That was what he was going to do! In a very. discreet. indiscriminant way just in case she really DIDN'T return his feelings. That would be bad. And very like her. Always with the mixed messages!  
  
What was he getting himself into? Faye was the embodiment of EVIL! How could he be in love with someone like her, after being in a relationship with someone like Julia?  
  
But as soon as he'd thought that, Spike knew he had to STOP thinking like that. He couldn't compare Julia to Faye, or, on some rare occasions, visa versa. They were two different women, and two very different things had happened under two very different circumstances with them, so he couldn't evaluate them as one person when they were obviously two very separate people with their own faults and strong points. They had nothing to do with each other. except. except.  
  
Except that they both had a piece of his heart.  
  
Only question was, who had the bigger piece?  
  
*  
  
"So, let me get this straight. you were Yoloko's dead husband's brother?" Faye asked, swearing with a tongue that could make a particularly raunchy sailor blanch in her head, as she realized she was out of aspirin plus.  
  
"Yes," Shinji Tsow confirmed, nodding his preposterously attractive head in conformation, an all too welcoming smile on his features. If Faye were the type to be taken in by a pretty face, she would have been blushing.  
  
"Oh." Faye replied, blushing.  
  
After nearly falling out of her tree when none other than Shinji Tsow, a muscular, attractive man with a boyish face, climbed onto her branch and completely startled her, Faye had been assured by the blond man that he meant no harm, and in fact had come to give her help with her current bounty. Yoloko. Faye had quickly added Shinji to her list of people she loved very very very much, and followed him to a local (very upscale) diner, needing no further explanation.  
  
Although now that she had one, her head was spinning slightly.  
  
Wowzers! She hadn't actually believed she would ever be able to talk to an actual relative of Yoloko's! Okay, so he was an in-law, but in some ways this was better, since it was Shinji's family who was supplying most of the reward money. Shinji could prove to be a most valuable asset if he actually knew anything about Yoloko and the murders she committed about two years ago now, and could maybe even give the woman her first real break.  
  
"I wanted to tell you some very valuable information about Yoloko and the murders she committed about two years ago now,"  
  
Would the wonders EVER cease?  
  
'This is my lucky day!' Faye thought gleefully. 'He could tell me some good shit about Yoloko, that could be leads as to where to find her!'  
  
"Really? That's great, Shinji! See I've actually been having a sort of dry-spell when it comes to this case, I have to admit." Faye said, leaning over the table so that the man got a most luscious view of her chest, and staring into Shinji's eyes entrancingly. Shinji grinned.  
  
"Are you kidding, you've come farther than any other bounty hunter we've had come after this bitch yet!" he scoffed, actually looking a bit regretful. Faye cocked her head.  
  
"I'm sure your just saying that," she said, speculatively.  
  
"No, I'm not! You're the only one who has been able to spot her, or get under her skin like this, in such a short period of time! No one else has been so targeted by Yoloko specifically as you are!" Shinji blurted.  
  
"But that's . that's really bad!" Faye pointed out.  
  
"You're telling me? We've had hundreds of bounty hunters come out here to try and catch Yoloko, but so far, they've all ended up leaving this cursed town in a huff!" Shinji explained, looking very grim indeed. Faye winced, realizing that if things didn't pick up with this case, that she might too. "You're our best hope to catch Yoloko, Faye Valentine, and I stopped by because I wanted to make sure you had all the information you needed!" he explained.  
  
"Well, that's really nice of you Shinji, but what sort of information do you have? I mean. unless you've got a map to Yoloko's hideout somewhere in there," she said, casually giving Shinji the once over from her side of the table. A slight heat rose to Shinji's neck, and he smiled politely.  
  
"Well. no. But I can probably tell you just about anything else you might want to know," Shinji offered graciously. Faye bit her lip. Okay, so she hadn't really expected Shinji to have that map. but what more did she need to know about Yoloko?  
  
'Who am I kidding. I have tons of questions!'  
  
"Well, maybe you could tell me a little bit about Yoloko before the. incident," Faye said, broaching the subject carefully, and keeping in mind that it WAS Shinji's brother and nephews who were brutally murdered. "Was she always the insane, homicidal type? Or did something push her off the edge?"  
  
"Good question," Shinji admitted, leaning back in his chair, as Faye leaned forward, curious. "In truth. Yoloko used to be a totally normal person,"  
  
"What?" Faye deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I know it's hard to believe, especially for those who have actually met her as she is now," Shinji said, chuckling darkly at Faye's aghast expression. He ran a hand through his hair and sipped his tea lightly as he spoke. Very sexy. "But it's true. In fact, when I first met her, I even liked the bitch. A lot. I was the one who encouraged she and Ryo to tie the not, even. of course, looking back on it, I sort of wish I had just blasted her head off and had been done with it," Faye winced. Nope, there weren't any spiteful emotions THERE!  
  
"So, what caused the change, if she was this totally ordinary, good person?" Faye asked, blatantly. So far, all she was getting was more confused, and that really wasn't the direction she had been hoping to go in.  
  
"It's hard to say. Although, the scenario wasn't anything like one moment she was this fun, loving, great mother and wife, and the next thing you know she's a vicious murderer. No," Shinji shook his head, not even noticing as Faye flinched at the word 'vicious'. "It happened gradually. She started drawing away from her family slowly, almost subconsciously, after a certain point in time, about a year before the killings. We didn't think much of it; Yoloko had always been a bit unusual. The 'cool' mother for the boys, and slightly oddball in law, if you know what I mean. Always the one playing with the kids during the family reunions, and smoking with the guys afterwards. Because of this, Mom and Dad thought nothing of it when she became more withdrawn and odd that year, even though I had my speculations. I knew Yoloko pretty well, and something was obviously bothering her."  
  
"Like a primal desire to kill?" Faye suggested, causally.  
  
".Er, don't know,"  
  
"Just a thought," Shinji smiled at Faye, his eyes twinkling, apparently appreciating her attempted good humor, and continued on. Faye felt her breath get caught in her throat.  
  
"At one point actually, she came to me, apparently worried about Ryo. that's my brother. Though I don't know why, Ryo looked as jolly as ever, SHE was the one having a panic attack, and for no reason I could disconcert. I told her this, but she just got worse. She said it wasn't her, it was him, there was something wrong with HIM. though when I asked her, she wouldn't say what exactly was wrong with her husband. She said she wasn't allowed to. It was such a weird night, It should have been my tip- off that things weren't exactly healthy up there," Shinji admitted, placing his teacup down carefully. Faye suddenly looked up at him with a whole new compassion in her eyes. What a terrible situation for a brother to be in.. The whole thing must have been a living nightmare for the horribly gorgeous man.  
  
"Towards the end, I think Kurama and Takashi, the sons, noticed the tension too. The difference. But they could hardly do anything about it. this was their mother! Though they did put up a bit of a fight when push came to shove. so to speak," Shinji said, as though his own phrasing of the situation pained him. Faye cocked her head.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, after she was done shooting up Ryo, and had turned on her sons. they put up a bit of a fight. It was how she got that long scar down her arm."  
  
"No." Faye gasped the whole situation a bit too morbid for her liking.  
  
"Yeah, that was Kurama, the older one, twelve at the time I believe. We don't know exactly what happened, but luckily, the boy left enough of Yoloko's blood samples scattered around after the incident, that we were able to pint point some odd substances in her blood stream." Shinji admitted. Faye's brow furrowed, this was the important shit. If she could maybe figure out why Yoloko did what she did, she might be able to figure out what the woman was doing now.  
  
"What did you find?"  
  
"Drugs, basically. Really strong, potent. drugs. The doctors weren't ever able to really establish EXACTLY what drug, but they were thinking maybe opium. more likely Red Eye." Faye sighed lightly and put her cheek in her hand. Oh to be rich and be able to afford to partake in drugs like Red Eye.  
  
"So you're saying she killed her family while she was under the effect?" Faye asked.  
  
"That's what all of the evidence is pointing to. She fled the scene the second she was done with her dirty work. It was such a shock. she had loved her family SO MUCH, no one could understand just what had spurred her to become such a sadistic killer! And me, after having her come to me specifically asking for help? I could have shot myself," Shinji said, softly. Faye felt her heart go out to the man.  
  
"You couldn't have known. she wasn't even asking for help for HERSELF, for God's sake! She was talking about Ryo!" Faye pointed out in a soothing voice.  
  
"Still.you know how it is. All of those 'If onlys'. Obviously, you can see why my family put out such a large reward so quickly," Shinji said.  
  
"Yes, and I want to really thank you for helping me like this. I haven't been able to find ANYTHING about the case! This is the best break I've had in forever!" Faye admitted, happily.  
  
"Well, my family wanted to keep it all really hush hush, so there's not really any valuable information open to the public. we do own a very powerful firm you know. Having one of our own children killed by his maniac wife is bad press,"  
  
"Er, right!" Faye agreed, shrugging. As if she'd know anything about that. "Although, I do have one last question Shinji. As nice as it is that you're helping me. how come no one else has been able to find Yoloko when she's staying in such a small area, and how come I'm the first bounty hunter you've bothered to lend a hand to?" she asked, skeptically. Shinji looked hesitant to reply.  
  
"Well, not to scare you or anything, Faye, but odd things have been known to happen to bounty hunters who pursue Yoloko for too long," the man said carefully. Faye snorted.  
  
"Oh yeah, I know all about that," she said, waving her hand casually.  
  
"You do?" Shinji asked, confused.  
  
"Absolutely. I've been beaten up and shot by Yoloko's bodyguards, got jumped by some rich asses who live in the neighborhood and have a soft spot for the woman, I've been sent a death threat and an anonymous tip, and, oh, here's my favorite, just the other night someone tried to blow me to smithereens with a bazooka when I was eating at a seafood restaurant,"  
  
". You DO know all about Yoloko's seafood fetish-?"  
  
"-Yes Shinji. Yes I do."  
  
"Hmmm. curious," Shinji admitted, stroking his chin. "But, I must say, you are by far the most hounded bounty hunter we've had yet! Usually they give up and leave after the first attack, but you're holding up surprisingly well!" he congratulated.  
  
"I am?" Faye asked flatly.  
  
"You are! Bravo! See, this is why I came to help you. I've been so fed up with incompetent bounty hunters giving up after the first lynch, I knew you would be able to really help put my brother's murdered behind bars!"  
  
"I don't know whether I should be flattered or worried here. Are you telling me that this town has been getting rid of all of the bounty hunters that try to get Yoloko?" Faye asked, folding her arms.  
  
"In a nut shell. we believe so." Shinji divulged, nodding.  
  
"That's ridiculous! Why haven't you brought these people to justice though? It would probably speed up the incarceration process!" Faye pointed out sharply.  
  
"Because we have no solid proof that they actually scared off this bounty hunters! They always manage to leave the scene before they get caught. In fact, the first time they were arrested was with you! And even if you did come forward to make a complaint about them, the system wouldn't listen. They're just too influential in this town, and you're a bounty hunter. You guys may be above the law, but you're also not protected by it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but cops don't usually worry about mass assassinations of bounty hunters." Shinji summed up.  
  
"Ch. Yeah, that sounds about right." Faye growled. It was the reason why she hadn't made a complaint to the police station when her rich attackers were let out Scott free. She wasn't naïve to the fact that many a local police officer wouldn't be elated to have her leave Neptune City. (A/N- HA! I bet you forgot that was the name of the town Faye was staying in!- Ah, don't worry, I did too. That's why haven't mentioned in like, the past three chapters.)  
  
"Faye, not to put too much pressure on you, but my family is really counting on you now," Shinji said earnestly, taking Faye's hand, and squeezing it.  
  
"Um, that's a rather bad idea Shinji dear." Faye admitted, looking sort of embarrassed; when was the last time someone put his or her total confidence in HER? Usually, people tried to put as little responsibility on her shoulders as possible, and she was feeling sort of swamped here.  
  
"I highly doubt that! I've been reviewing your actions from the past few weeks, and I KNOW you can crack this one if you really put your heart into it," My, he was turning out to be quite the romantic. Cute. "Plus, I'm willing to give you all the help you need! Just ask!" Faye froze at that, the gears in her head cranking at warp speed.  
  
". Any sort of help?"  
  
"Anything! I'm at your service!" Faye let a sort of well, wicked grin slip onto her features, and she folded her hands in front of her carefully.  
  
"Well, now that you mention it. I have been sort of . low on money. and it's expensive, staying in the neighborhood."  
  
*  
  
"Spike!"  
  
"Faye!"  
  
The couple cried in unison as they met up in front of the hotel. Faye looked overjoyed, nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet with contentment- where as Spike appeared rather wary hesitantly jogging up to her with a carefully guarded expression. Faye hardly noticed as she launched into her own story first.  
  
"Spike, you'll never believe what just happened- I just had the biggest break ever!" Faye declared, stopping in front of the spirit, nearly gasping for breath.  
  
"Really?" Spike asked, pretending to be very interested, as any normal bounty hunter would be. But, apparently, he wasn't a normal bounty hunter. Nooo. he had to be a crazy one who had fallen in love with his mentally unhinged partner in crime. Stupid him. He tried not to linger too much on how the afternoon rays hit Faye's face perfectly, making her looking pretty and youthful.  
  
"Yes! I was checking out Ricky's place again, when this guy climbed up my tree and almost scared the fuck out of me!"  
  
"Sounds enlightening," Spike commented, folding his arms, while mentally preparing the steps he needed to take to make his possible confession. You know what they say, not time like the present!  
  
"Shut up! I'm not at the good part yet, Spiegel. He's Yoloko's brother in-law!" she got out quickly, softly.  
  
"You mean. from her husband she murdered?"  
  
"Yep." Okay, now Spike's interest was a bit piqued, and he pushed away his soul bearing thoughts for a later date, until they had this all straightened out.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"Well, he told me a lot of useful things about Yoloko, but, more importantly, I got him to finance our entire stay!" Faye got out, breathlessly.  
  
"How?!"  
  
"Well, the guy's loaded up to the armpits with cash, and he said he would do anything to have turn Yoloko in, so I brought up the fact that I'm a little loose on change. and bam! He's letting me stay at a recluse house he has in the area, in case people try to come after me at my hotel, and he's paying for more ammunition!" she practically giggled.  
  
"Cool," Spike acknowledged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "But what is this guy like, and what sort of information did he tell you? Does it seem like we can trust him?"  
  
"Well, I think so," Faye admitted, brushing some hair away from her eyes. Spike mentally slapped himself as he found himself watching the silky purple strands drift around her shoulder almost hypnotically. He had to get over this. or get it off his chest at least. Now just didn't seem to be the right time though. Well, there went all of his plans. "He seemed pretty passionate about just turning Yoloko in, and the stuff he told me was surprising but reasonable. I think we can trust him." Faye said folding her arms and turning to head into the hotel. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it while I'm packing. I want to get out of this place as soon as possible. I don't really feel safe anymore. Especially after that threat. Who knows when the natives could get restless and decide to fire bomb the hotel?"  
  
"Of course," Spike said, following Faye through the glass doors, a wistful expression on his face as he realized perhaps the timing wasn't the only thing wrong with this situation. It was the fact that he was being a coward, as well, and was having second thoughts. Was this too spur of the moment for his cautious heart? Could he really bring himself to admit to Faye that he had feelings for her that went deeper than friendship?  
  
Was he just being a coward?  
  
Spike Spiegel did NOT enjoy being called a coward.. And he would just have to amend this situation.  
  
Later. when he was more positive of what exactly he wanted to tell Faye.  
  
Right.. Coward.  
  
*  
  
Yoloko raised an eyebrow as she watched Lincoln waddle into the room, fingering her black, hooded jacket as she did so. So. now he was coming to her! He was really getting desperate then.  
  
Just as she'd planned.  
  
"George, so good to see you! It's always a pleasure to have one of my most dedicated clients stumble in at an odd hour of the day, asking for favors I'm sure," she said dryly, as to of her guards flexed their muscles in what was a threatening motion a bit behind her. They all stood in what looked to be a warehouse of sorts, wide open spaces and boxes stacked on top of each other piled all about. It was a bit cold, but that wasn't the reason Mr. Lincoln was shivering.  
  
"Of course. yes-right!" he stammered stupidly, obviously having no idea what he was talking about. Yoloko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and cut to the chase. She had an order to pick up.  
  
"What is it that you want? You are already in debt for your last order, and besides paying me, which I have a sinking feeling you do not intend to do, what else would you bother me for?" she snapped. The guards growled. Mr. Lincoln smoothed his sparse, oily hair back.  
  
"I-I-I need another. order." Old George got out carefully, tugging on his silk tie to the point where he could possibly be choking himself. Yoloko blinked at him, mentally beaming triumphantly, and outwardly looking convincingly shocked.  
  
"You must be kidding," she chuckled, putting one hand to her heavily makeuped mouth. "You can't possibly afford another shipment at this point!"  
  
"B-But I will be able to!- soon."  
  
"How? You're all-powerful company is going to the dogs, is how I hear it. And possibly because of your bad leadership!" Yoloko pointed out maliciously. Lincoln winced, but forged onward.  
  
"I'm going to sell Lincoln to Techio! That will give me enough money to pay for whatever I owe you, and then some!" he said, showing the barest signs of a backbone. "And I will be wanting a. substantially larger order this time, if you want your money, in any case." Lincoln pointed out huffily.  
  
"Is that a threat?" Yoloko asked, arching an eyebrow slowly.  
  
"Erk!- No!" Okay, forget about the backbone. "I-I'm just s-saying. that in order to get Techio to buy Lincoln. I'll have to do some charming. So we're having a party in their honor in a week or so. and I thought."  
  
"That you could buy their affections with my help?" Yoloko supplied helpfully. She was far from inexperienced when it came to conniving businessmen ways. After all, her late husband had been one.  
  
"Yes! Yes exactly! Now do you see..?"  
  
"Well, I suppose," she admitted, casually walking towards Lincoln, eyes averted. "Though it would be a risk on my part. for if your idea doesn't work, and Techio doesn't buy you over. where would I be?"  
  
"I-I-. well." Lincoln looked a bit devastated.  
  
"Although I guess we'll never know if we don't try!"  
  
"Yes!" George perked up considerably, and Yoloko hid a smile.  
  
"So, I believe I could have a large order ready by next week, if that's the way it has to be. I'll know how much to supply, and you should know that it's going to cost you a pretty penny, what with your combined dues from the last shipment. Oh- I really shouldn't be doing this." she said, trailing off suggestively.  
  
"No! Please! Yoloko I'm BEGGING you!."  
  
"WELL, if you're begging!"  
  
"Please!"  
  
"Fine! Just stop sniveling," the woman snapped irritably, folding her arms and frowning, no longer liking this game. It was getting boring.  
  
"Thank you! You are so generous... and lovely. and kind.and forgiving." Yoloko let the dreaded man trail on for a bit, resisting the urge to slash him across the face with her impressive nails. Finally, she dismissed him, fully assured that he was effectively humbled, just as planned. In fact, all of this had been preordained by Yoloko, right down to knowing that Lincoln and Co was going bankrupt, and that Techio would want to buy them for their connections. Was she a genius or what?  
  
Everything was going according to plan, and soon she'd be off this planet, rich as you please.  
  
*  
  
"Faye, no offense, but I'm not so sure if this Shinji guy helped us much. I'm practically more confused about the whole situation than when we started." Spike admitted, hanging off the couch and watching Faye shuffle around her room with two bright blue suitcases she was arbitrarily throwing things in, as she retold what had happened at the diner.  
  
"I know. I sort of got that feeling too," she admitted flatly. "But it's better than nothing."  
  
"I guess." Spike conceded doubtfully. "Not to rush you Faye, but I would appreciate it if we could wrap this whole thing up quickly, and get started with the more important parts of this expedition. It's just taking too long, and we need outside assistance," Spike said, firmly, while sitting up. Faye didn't even stop packing as she replied in a tight knit voice.  
  
"I know we do, okay! But whom could we ask for help? I can't think of anyone who specializes in this sort of thing." She sighed while realizing the sheer oddity of her situation, and not too sure who could give her any good advice for this bounty.  
  
"Are you kidding? Intelligent people who specialize in crazy bounty hunters with impossibly weird situations looming over their heads? Tell me Faye, who does that bring to mind?" Faye nearly dropped her makeup kit at those words. He couldn't mean.  
  
"Spike, I." Seeing her slightly panicked expression, Spike knew the pretty woman had guessed right.  
  
"Come on Faye, you know it would be the fastest way to get this all done,"  
  
"But we left on such bad terms. well. at least, I did."  
  
"And now would be a perfect time to reconcile! You want that, don't you?"  
  
"I-I just don't know," Faye admitted, stuffing the makeup kit away, and then turning to look Spike in his multicolored eyes. She had never quite understood his eyes, but, none-the-less, whenever she looked into them, she got the distinct impression he was searching her soul. It was sort of nerve racking, but she wouldn't turn away. What more did she have to hide at this point? He basically knew everything about her. Well, all of the important things.  
  
"Think about it Faye, hasn't this been going on too long? You know that now, with me, you'll have to face them eventually anyway, and don't tell me they wouldn't speed up this case. Remember how fast we used to zoom through bounties? With them. this would be cake," he said convincingly, silently adding that it would also be getting a step closer for him in terms of figuring out his ungodly situation. Faye looked a bit lost. She sat down carefully in a chair opposite him, a fortified expression playing across her features.  
  
"It would just be very hard for me. There are too many open wounds with that group. Always have been. They all. just know what to do to push my buttons, and get me to say the most revealing things that I would have never considered telling anyone before. Not to mention they make me act all. I don't know, almost happy," she admitted softly.  
  
"Tell me about it. Those were weird times, when we were all together." Spike agreed, as he watched Faye dig around her pants pocket for a cigarette.  
  
"But they were good times,"  
  
"Good times indeed."  
  
"I sort of miss them."  
  
"They were exiting, memorable people."  
  
"Yeah, I guess It has been a while since I've seen any of the crew. and now with you here."  
  
"A very opportunistic time for sure,"  
  
"Okay. I'll do it,"  
  
"Great!" Spike cheered, mission accomplished. Faye sat in silence, smoking and watching him carefully for a minute.  
  
".Damn, how do you do that?"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about,"  
  
"Yes you do! You just convinced me to invite the entire Bebop crew back over! You just made me . made me. reopen a chapter in my book of life!!"  
  
".What?"  
  
"Never mind. Whatever. I guess. I guess I'll try and go locate everyone. They're pretty scattered." Faye sighed, rubbing her head and going to dig her laptop out of her bags. It was time for some e-mailing. God, how did she get herself into ruts like this? What was she going to say to JET? Oh no.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Spike acknowledged, a triumphant smile on his face as he lay back down on the couch, with his arms as his pillow, and a bigheaded smirk on his face. Yep, he was slick. Faye watched him take a short nap from her room, staring at him carefully. Well. that was Spike for you. Probably one of those most cunning people she knew, who could be just as thick at the same time. Didn't he know what sort of an affect he had on her? He could run her heart around in circles all day without missing a beat, then make her do whatever he wanted if he put his mind to it, and she wouldn't deny it. She might act tough, but she was a sucker for love.  
  
Love? Oh God, not this again. She needed a drink. She was nearly positive that even if she did have some rekindled feelings for the fuzzy haired man at this point, they weren't mutual. He used her like nothing else half the time, and she wasn't blind to it, let him to do it in fact, if it meant she got to work with him some more. She would never tell anyone but, back in the day, she would have done anything to keep the Bebop crew together after she realized they were falling apart, and that was probably why she was so quick to buy into Spike's reasoning for reuniting the crew, even though she knew he mostly only wanted it so he could try and communicate with everyone once more. And hopefully get one step closer to being with. Julia. Not Faye, Julia.  
  
Faye took in a painful breath, and turned on her heal, taking solace in packing her bags to get her mind off Spike. And even as she did this, she was unaware that Spike had watched the startling variety of emotions pass over her face, all notably miserable and poignant, and was quite confused himself as to just what was going on in Faye's head.  
  
Things were getting quite messy on Mars, and neither bounty hunter had any idea what to do about it. They couldn't hide their true feelings forever, but what sort of people had they gotten involved with? A gambling, really old, voluptuous woman who lied constantly about . well, everything? And a dangerous man who used to be part of a syndicate and had more bones in his closet than one could effectively look at without getting queasy? Not to mention the lunkhead lied about... well, everything.  
  
Soul searching was in order.  
  
*  
  
Notes: Once again, sorry about being late. I hope I don't loose too many readers if this continues. And I hope I don't confuse people to the point of insanity with this messed up fanfic, as well. Whatever. Now, since I'm desperate to know, tell me if you think anyone is out of character, because I have some real bad feelings about Faye. Or it could just be me. Anyway, review review review and it'll make me sooo happy! Thanks, bye!  
  
Rio Grande. 


	6. Communication

Hey, all  
  
Sigh.. Another day another chapter I have to start working on. My life has become an endless cycle of fanfics I have to get in just the right mood to do, since I (stupidly.) started four different stories with each one having almost entirely different atmospheres, not to mention they're all from different, various series. I'm sitting their, writing a story about Spirited Away that has been called 'utterly depressing and heart wrenching', and then I have to immediately get my ass into gear as soon as that's out to work on my Ranma ½ / Sailor Moon crossover that is the epitome of silliness. It's really quite disorienting.  
  
But enough author angst, I'm happy, really I am! Content with my fics am I. And I truly have to thank everyone who reviewed again, because they were such insightful and helpful reviews. I'm also glad to hear that people approve of Faye's personality in this story. Puts my fears at ease.  
  
Someone also wondered for one chapter or another if Faye was going to be left in the dust by Spike, as usual, in this fic. Well, I'm obviously not going to just tell you, and I'm not even entirely positive myself yet, the total end of this fic being a vague, sketchy thing that seems too far off in the distance to be bothered with. even though I only intend to give this fic maybe a little over ten chapters. However, I do love the idea of having Spike and Faye together, no matter how unlikely that would be in the real show itself. BUT, I'm not a Julia hater. The girl's nice, can't say much bad stuff about her, except maybe a little lack of judgment in terms cheating on her super strong and intimidating boyfriend. But fuck, my favorite character's Faye, who isn't exactly the model girlfriend, so whatever.  
  
I don't own Cowboy Bebop, because if I did I don't think it would have been physically possible for me to end it with Spike dying. no matter how cool that ending really WAS.  
  
*  
  
O, My Troubles With God.  
  
By Rio Grande.  
  
Chapter Five: Communication.  
  
*  
  
"Now THIS is more like it," Faye cried, heaving a gigantic, happy sigh and hurling herself onto a large king sized bed covered in white silk sheets and pillows that weren't too fluffy like the ones at the hotel, but not rock hard like the ones she kept on her ship.  
  
(A/N- UM. I realize I got the name of Faye's ship wrong last time, so could someone remind me of what it's really called? I think I mixed it up with Spike's and called it the swordtail or something. I don't really know.)  
  
"I get my own room!" Spike commented with approval, floating through his new bedroom's door, grinning as he found a large deep blue room with wide windows covering the walls, that let warm yellow beams of light filter joyfully in. Not to mention a really soft carpet even he with his dulled, ghost like senses could feel. Sure, the bed was nice, but it was hardly relevant because he didn't sleep!  
  
"God, Shinji must be more loaded than I thought! I could learn to love this guy." Faye said, smiling as she skipped into the large, (completely white, right down to the slightly tacky white leather couches and reclining chairs. Really, who paid money to have white leather reclining chairs!?) living room, to check out the new T.V.  
  
Shinji's house was everything and more than Faye and Spike had expected when he had said he would let Faye stay at his extra home for the duration of the hunt. It was a large, two story house with balcony's adorning the outside, a great view of Mars' (artificial) mountain range, a huge kitchen, four bedrooms, and best of all, a fully functional security system Faye intended to make good use of. She felt as though she was taking a big gulp of fresh air now that she was out of her hotel that was probably at this moment being targeted by a bunch of angry rich guys and a beam cannon, and in a nice big house that had not a spot of dirt. It was located in a recluse part of town (That still managed to be not too far away from civilization so that Faye could keep up with her investigation!) where hopefully none of her newly acquired enemies would think to look for her.  
  
"This is great! I'm so happy!" Faye continued to cheer, Spike's eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched her happily roll around on the couch, clutching the remote control to her chest.  
  
"Let's not forget there is a price to staying here," Spike pointed out, sitting across from her and opening a beer he had brought along. The only remaining one from the six-pack he had purchased earlier, when he had gone to brood about Faye. The woman made him drink like a fish; it was just her effect on him.  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know. We sort of have to CATCH Yoloko. But, it's not like we really have to worry about anything, I mean, this guy loves me! He'd do anything for me! You should have seen the way he was looking at me before." Faye said, her tone cocky. Spike raised an eyebrow.  
  
"He sounds like a pervert. He doesn't even know you," Spike said flatly. But even as the words came out of his mouth, he was mentally stepping back to examine them. Whoa. That kind of sounded like he was. sort of jealous. Since when was he worried about guys checking Faye out? It was an hourly occurrence, and he had never stopped to be angry about it before. 'I'm not so sure I like the fact that it's bothering me now,' Spike admitted, frowning as he realized he DIDN'T want other guys to be ogling Faye.  
  
"Jeez, when did you get so principled? He was just being sweet to me, and honestly, we NEED this guy. He's buying me more ammo and supplies for this bounty. He can stare all he wants!" she proclaimed, getting to her feet and marching over to the kitchen to continue her careful investigation of the house's assets. Next stop- Coffee machine.  
  
Back on the couch, Spike did that stepping back and observing the sentence thing. Hm. 'He can stare all he wants?' Nope. No. Didn't like THAT statement either. It had to go.  
  
'What am I stressing over, really?' Spike wondered as he watched Faye totter about the kitchen in those tiny, form fitting shorts, like a child who had just inherited a toy store, finding not only a coffee machine, but COFFEE BEANS, to go IN that coffee machine! 'It's not as if she's going to COMMIT to this guy or anything. She's already said she only likes him for his money, and the day Faye Valentine gets truly serious over a guy, will be the day hell freezes over. Or Ed says something that actually makes sense.' Spike sighed contentedly; pleased he had just convinced himself Faye wasn't going to fall for this new Shinji guy, but also wondering in the back of his head how this was truly comforting. If she wouldn't commit to ANYONE. did that include him?  
  
"Spike?" Faye asked, hearing a guttural moan come from his direction.  
  
"Yah?" he quickly replied, turning around with one hand dug into his hair.  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"Definitely!"  
  
*  
  
Faye couldn't sleep. Which was entirely surprising, since she was currently lying in what just might be considered the most comfortable bed EVER. Much nicer than her hotel bed, and, further more, any other bed she had had the privilege to rest in. However, it seemed as though that night her insomnia was catching up with her.  
  
Either that or her conscience.  
  
She had told Spike she was going to call up Jet, Ed and Ein and ask if they would take a little trip down to see her and help her with this case that was making little progression, not to mention, more importantly, to try to communicate with Spike, so he could finally find out just what was tying him to Earth, and then get the hell off it. But.  
  
But she had yet to actually make any sort of real attempt to communicate with these people, and the guilt was sort of keeping her up. She didn't WANT to talk to the Bebop crew! She had left them in sort of a huff, a bit of a wreck after Spike's death, and more irritable than ever. She was pretty sure they were eager to have her leave their midst's with her bad attitude, and wasn't sure if she was entirely ready to forgive them for THAT, either. She had been so damaged, and they hadn't even tried to stop her when she walked away! She had considered them her family, but the second Spike died, it all just when to the dogs. As though their foundations had never been that sturdy in the first place.. Which was depressing.  
  
And then there was another thing, a selfish thing, really. It was just. if the whole crew really DID come back, and they really DID solve Spike's problem. then he would go away. Up to heaven (Faye was STILL having trouble realizing that the man had actually gotten past those pearly gates.) and away from her, permanently.  
  
'God, I'm being so freaking selfish! He deserves to be let off this haunted world, and here I am being self-interested and only worrying about how lonely I'm going to be when he's gone. How much I'm going to miss his stupid fuzzy head, again. I can't believe I love having him around so much,' the purple haired woman sighed, caving in, reaching to the side to grab the phone. 'Wake up Valentine, the world doesn't revolve around you! Most of the time, anyway.'  
  
Quickly, Faye punched in the Bebop's number, knowing that while Ed and Ein might no longer inhabit the ship, Jet still lived there, a lone bounty hunter. She had never forgotten the number, as pathetic as that sounded. She had contemplated calling Jet many times before and perhaps reconciling with the man, but usually lost her nerve before anyone answered. She took in a deep breath and bit her lip none too gently as she waited for the large ex-cop to pick up. He was going to be by far the hardest to talk to, and she knew it.  
  
"Hello?" a deep, scratchy voice sounded on the other end of the line, obviously having been recently awakened from his sleep. Faye drew in a deep breath, straightening her posture, and then replied in her coolest, most casual voice.  
  
"Jet? It's Faye."  
  
*  
  
Yoloko eyed the picture in her hand carefully. She looked at the man in the photo, head turned to the side as he talked to a woman that was aggravatingly familiar, his blond hair, happy disposition and incredibly affluent aura brining back a wave of memories. Damn it all. . Shinji was back in town.  
  
Yoloko just barely resisted the urge to throw her head back, let out an animalistic scream, and then tear up the picture with her teeth. This was ridiculous! For months she had been operating with little to no trouble, and now, suddenly, when she had almost accomplished her goal- THIS happens! A surprisingly lucky bounty hunter crawls into town; the local village idiots start messing things up because they're weak and desperate; and then SHINJI comes back to start teaming up with the very female bounty hunter who has been plaguing her!  
  
'It's as though I'm finally getting my punishment,' she thought morbidly, sighing heavily and putting the picture down on the small coffee table in front of her. The photographer who had taken the picture, and one of her guards stood before her, watching her carefully, wondering if now would be a good time to make a bolt for the door. She may not be openly seething, but it was plain to see their boss was pissed beyond belief, and when Yoloko was pissed, it wasn't advised that you be in a five-mile radius of her.  
  
"Madame Yoloko." the photographer said hesitantly, running his hand through his greasy brown hair, and shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"Where did you take this picture, Tama?" Yoloko asked sharply, glancing up at the photographer.  
  
"At the diner on 80th Madam."  
  
"Hm. I see." Yoloko said softly, tapping her cheek with one claw like finger, eyes narrowing into slits as she thought.  
  
What to do? She obviously couldn't let Shinji help this woman more than he already had. She just couldn't afford to have this bounty hunter get any more of the upper hand. She was already doing surprisingly well; better than any other bounty hunter had, and she honestly wanted nothing more that to have this Faye Valentine dead. Preferably she wanted to be the one to kill her, and slowly. Now, if Shinji wanted to be conversing and plotting with this woman, it was his funeral. She wouldn't stand for it, and he too would have to be dealt with.  
  
"Well, I suppose there's only one course of action to take from here," Yoloko sighed, shrugging, and wrapping her mink coat more firmly around her arms, never mind that it was around 80 degrees out. She was always cold anyway.  
  
"What is that Madam Yoloko?" the guard asked, frowning behind his dark glasses, as the photographer quickly forked over all of the other incriminating photographs he had of Faye and Shinji.  
  
"We'll just have to kill them both. Today, if at all possible."  
  
* The first thing Spike noticed about Faye as she slunk into the kitchen the next morning, once again reading his morning paper, was that her eyes were rimmed with red. That was odd. Had she been crying? He tried to look impartial about the whole deal, pretending not to notice the fact that she looked as though she had very recently balled her eyes out, appearing to be very interested in the sports section.  
  
Faye didn't notice any of this though as she went over to the coffee machine, with its coffee beans, and started the morning ritual. Spike hadn't made breakfast today, but Faye didn't really mind. She wasn't that hungry anyway. In fact, she felt distinctly un-hungry.  
  
Spike couldn't help but stare as Faye plopped onto the white leather couch in front of him a few minutes later, making pathetic little squishing sounds on the leather as she stared at her coffee dourly, shifting around and striking up little depressing posses with her shoulders. Ummm.  
  
"So, want to tell me what's wrong?" Spiked asked in a father like manner, putting the newspaper aside as Faye glanced up at him, apparently surprised.  
  
"I don't know what you mean," she said simply. Spike gave her one of those looks. "I really don't." He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well, maybe I sort of do," He leaned forward, menacingly. "Okay, okay! God. just stop looking at me like that," Spike leaned back, smiling. Yep. Worked every time.  
  
Faye sighed and blew some hair from her eyes. He really could make her do whatever he wanted. It was depressing.  
  
"So, I called Jet and Ed last night," she decided to start out with.  
  
"Really? That's great!" Spike said, surprised she had taken some initiative with his request.  
  
"Not so great, actually. Jet was a total ass," Faye said, sighing and getting a little pissed off look on her face. Spike sighed now as well; he should have expected this. It was just like Jet. He always did have a short fuse when it came to Faye. Or him, for that matter.  
  
"Well, what happened?" Spike pressed, having this feeling that Jet was probably responsible for the tears. Either that or Ein had a mean- streak.  
  
"He was his usual, 'something large is stuck up my ass' self. At first it was okay. I mean, he was like, 'well, haven't heard from you in a while' and all that jazz," Faye said, as Spike nodded encouragingly. "Which was pretty good considering I left the Bebop screaming obscenities over my shoulder. But. I guess he just didn't believe me when I told him that your ghost was hanging around me and wanted to see him so that your soul could ascend to heaven," Faye muttered thoughtfully.  
  
"Did you really put it like that?" Spike sighed.  
  
"Um. More or less."  
  
"Great," Spike groaned rubbing his head. "After all that time of living with the guy and you still don't know how to talk to him? You couldn't just tell him that. You know he'd take it the wrong way, and call you crazy,"  
  
"Actually he called me a -"  
  
"You have to sort of lie to him, convince him to come down in another way, and THEN, when he has no way to escape, break the news to him. I should have been there when you called," Spike admitted. Faye hated to agree with the man, but when Spike was right, he was right. She SHOULD have lied.  
  
"Oh God, shut up. If you're so great at this, then why didn't YOU call him?" Faye snapped.  
  
"Because he can't see or hear me," Spike reminded her helpfully.  
  
"Are you positive? I mean have you really gone to see him and all the others?" Faye asked skeptically. She really didn't feel like calling Jet again. Not that she was going to tell Spike this, but it had really hurt when Jet had yelled at her, and called her insane for talking about Spike like that. His opinion of her apparently hadn't changed in the slightest. To Jet, she would always be the same, gambling, greedy, slutty Faye Valentine. And she supposed he didn't have any material to work with that would make him see otherwise. Why had it made her feel so wretched? Why had she cried?  
  
"Yeah, I did. Well, I mean, briefly. I walked by him, you see, and he didn't say anything." Spike said, shrugging.  
  
"That was it? You just walked by him and then assumed he had couldn't see you because in his heart he had already laid your memory to rest?" Faye deadpanned.  
  
"Well, he was the only other person in the room!" Spike countered. "I'm positive he would have noticed me if he actually had the ability to see me. I was just hesitant to stick around longer. It was weird, seeing him again. He was just going on with life as normal, reading a book and humming to himself. He never changes," Faye got a far off look in her eye for a second.  
  
"I know what you mean. That man drives me crazy." Shaking her head, she continued with her story. "Wait- what about Ed?"  
  
"Yeah I ran across her on while wondering around one colony or another, too. Don't think she could see me either," Spike explained, resting his elbows on his knees.  
  
"Well. I called her also, you know." Faye said.  
  
"And?" Faye smiled lightly; talking to Ed had been far easier than talking to Jet. Well, sort of, once you started to understand what she was trying to say. It was very hard, translating Ed-language to understandable parlance. Still.  
  
"She's coming with Ein,"  
  
"Really!" Spike perked up. Finally some good news. "When?"  
  
"You know, whenever. She'll be here in a few Ed-days I guess. That girl is so confusing, I couldn't even begin to guess where she is, or how long it will take her to make it to Mars," Faye sighed, resting her head back on the couch. Spike chuckled, thinking of the odd little girl genius and the data dog that loved her.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Suddenly the phone (I shiny, expensive old fashioned one) rang. "I'll get it," Spike said, getting to his feet, and picking up the phone.  
  
"Hello?" Spike said.  
  
"Hello?" Hello the person on the other line asked.  
  
"Hello?" Spike repeated, frowning, before noticing that Faye was laughing at him. Oh . right. Glowering, Spike thrust the phone in the woman's hands, pouting as he watched her continue to chuckle while she spoke to whomever had called. How depressing; the only person in the world he could currently communicate with was Faye. He had never thought of it that way, assuming there must be someone else out there who could see him or hear him, but. they couldn't. Faye was the only person he could talk to in the entire universe. The tall man quickly got up from his seat and headed over to the fridge, wondering how stocked this wealthy Shinji guy was when it came to alcohol.  
  
"Hello? Shinji?" Well, speak of the devil. "Hey! How are you? Yes. yes the house is great! I can't believe you just have a great little place like this set aside for... Hm, God, I can totally relate," Spike snorted over his newly acquired beer bottle, listening with one ear to the conversation. "Later? Today? I think I can. Well, I was actually planning on continuing with the case, but if. really? Why of course, if you want to!" Faye laughed, as Spike raised an eyebrow, wondering just what it was Shinji wanted of his partner.  
  
'Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend and go watch some T.V,' Spike encouraged himself, slinking over to the reclining chair in front of the large screen T.V, and turning it on.  
  
"Okay, on 50th? At 1:00? All right, marvelous. Sounds great. What? The T.V? No, I'm not watching. oh! No, no there's no one else in the house - it's just me!" Faye made frantic killing motions with her hands to Spike, signaling he had better turn off the T.V now or she'd bludgeon him over the head with a toaster oven. Well, that's what she was trying to say, but Faye highly doubted Spike got that much out of her frenzied slashing motion.  
  
Snorting, Spike turned off the news, folding his arms as Faye exchanged some quick goodbyes with Shinji. That's right. he was going to have to make it look as though he didn't exist if Shinji came over to visit.  
  
"So, I'll see you then, okay Shinji? Uh hu you too, thanks again, the house is wonderful! Okay, that's fine, bye!" Sighing, Faye hung up the phone. "Boy Spike, you have to be more careful. I can't have Shinji thinking other people are staying here without his permission - I don't want to loose this place!" Faye explained, getting to her feet.  
  
"Right right, I know. But, what was all that about 1:00?" Spike asked casually, glancing at Faye over his shoulder. The bounty huntress, still wearing only an oversized, button down shirt as sleepwear, that gave a wonderful view of her long tanned legs, quickly explained the plan for the day.  
  
"Well, I had planned on just wandering around town today and seeing if I got any more anonymous tips and/or death threats and murder attempts."  
  
"Sounds like a party,"  
  
"Well, it usually works out pretty well anyway. But Shinji called and said he wanted to tag along and see how things were going. Hell, he's paying for all this stuff, it's the least I can do, so I said okay. Although it might be awkward if you come along now. I don't want it to look like I talk to myself all the time!" Faye huffed as she took out a cigarette.  
  
"I'm going to try not to be offended," Spike said dryly. Great, so now Shinji was stealing all of his time with Faye too.  
  
"Hey, it's not your fault your dead." Faye said, shrugging and letting out a stream of smoke. "Oh. Wait. Yes it is!" Rolling his eyes, vehemently not wanting to get into this touchy area of conversation, Spike got to his feet and stretched leisurely.  
  
"So do you not want me to come at all?" he asked. "It's not like I'm going to mind finally having a day away from you," he lied.  
  
"Well, whatever," Faye shrugged, grabbing her laptop from the table, and flipping it open. "We could split up, and you could do some helpful super sleuth spying around town. You'd be good at that - hell, you're probably like the master spy now,"  
  
"You're making me blush. All right, I'll head out with you, and then we can split up once you and Shinji decide where you want to go. But I get the laptop!" Spike insisted.  
  
"But whyyy?" Faye moaned, clutching her laptop possessively.  
  
"Because you can barely use the damn thing," Spike explained logically.  
  
"Details details," Faye said, waving her cigarette around as she spoke, leaving streamers of smoke in the air.  
  
"Hey, you're sending me off on a wild goose chase to be alone all day and keep a look out for a bunch of men who are looking for YOU. I think I have the right to play online spades while I'm at it," Spike reasoned, as Faye tottered off to get dressed.  
  
"Fine. Fine!" she called, marching into her room. Spike sighed, picking up the laptop. Trust Spike Spiegel to fall in love with a drama queen. 'My, I'm sure tossing around the word 'love' pretty casually today,' Spike admitted. 'Do I really love Valentine? The human time bomb?'  
  
'God. I don't want to think about this right now. Maybe later, when we have this whole case cleared up. I don't think that even if I could come to a reasonable conclusion concerning my feelings, that popping this all on Faye right now would be really fair. She's under a good amount of stress as well, and probably wouldn't take the news too kindly if I were to tell her about it while some rich guy with questionable intentions is aiming a gun at her head.' Spike nodded firmly, connecting to the Internet, pleased that he had just found a very reasonable excuse why not to talk to Faye about things that made him, personally, uncomfortable.  
  
'Good job, Spike.'  
  
*  
  
"Faye! Hey!" Shinji called, waving widely to the woman from the other side of the street, as he valiantly dodged oncoming traffic to get to the attractive bounty hunter wearing the skintight jeans and red halter. Faye lowered her sunglasses to stare at Shinji. He really was quite endearing; notably humble and kind for a man of his wealth, but with a hint of spice and passion. Especially when it came to Yoloko.  
  
"What a klutz," Spike said flatly, as Shinji almost ran into an elderly woman trying to make her way to the physical therapist that sunny morning. Faye raised an eyebrow at her companion, speaking out of the corner of her mouth to the ghost who stood on her right.  
  
"What is it that you hate about him so much?" she asked plainly, honestly a bit confused. "Is it because you think he's treating me like a charity case? I really don't mind taking charity Spike. Never have," she reminded him.  
  
"No," Spike said sharply, taking out his own pack of cigarettes, expertly nabbed from the nearby drug store, and lighting up. "That's not it,"  
  
"You gonna make me guess?" Faye asked archly, as Shinji reached the couple. Or rather, Faye.  
  
"Faye! So good to see you again," Shinji said amiably, smiling broadly. Faye smiled back for the good man.  
  
"Glad to see you again too. Thanks for offering to come with me!" Faye said.  
  
"I'm happy to keep you company," Shinji admitted honestly. Faye continued to crank out all of the good vibes she could.  
  
"I usually get lonely when I go out looking for Yoloko, and sometimes it takes a while for inspiration to hit, so to speak, when I'm looking for her," Faye admitted convincingly.  
  
"Or take aim, at least," Spike snorted, leaning against the wall as he watched Faye and Shinji converse. Faye's eye twitched lightly, but Shinji didn't notice.  
  
"It's my pleasure! You've been having such luck with her so far, you know, I couldn't help but be interested in seeing your technique in person," he confessed giddily. Faye bit her lip.  
  
"Well, actually, there's not much technique involved." she joked, laughing uneasily. Uh oh, she didn't know Shinji was expecting her to show some great degree of intelligence and skill here. Hell, the entire hunt thus far had progressed to this level purely on luck! And fuck, it hadn't even gotten THAT far anyway.  
  
"It's great to see you sweat," Spike mentioned companionably. So he liked her, didn't mean he'd lost his mean sense of humor. Faye's hands balled into fists. but Shinji didn't notice.  
  
"Oh- don't be modest! I'm sure you're a SPECTACULAR bounty hunter! So, where to first?" Shinji asked, laughing and linking arms with Faye who, try as she might, really couldn't be uncomfortable around him.  
  
"Well, I was thinking I might hit another sea food restaurant. Did I tell you about the anonymous hint I got, about Yoloko and her fish obsession?.."  
  
"No! Really? That's great." Spike watched Faye and Shinji walk out of sight, Faye giving Spike a finger behind her back as way of saying 'see you back at the house,' before turning down to look at his hands, not even flinching as someone walked right through him.  
  
He knew now what it was he hated so much about Shinji. it wasn't that he didn't like the guy personally, he was fine. It was just that if he tried to take away Faye, there was no way he could make it look as though she were his, or in fact even get Shinji's attention as a real person. Sure he could write him a message, or beat him up- but he was invisible, and Shinji would probably see it all more as a super natural phenomena than a warning. In short, Spike was helpless to do anything as he watched Faye strut away from him, sharing laughs with another man who was most obviously interested in her for more than just her bounty hunting expertise.  
  
Spike threw his cigarette on the ground, stamping on it angrily, not even noticing as a little girl stopped to stare in wonder at the levitating cigarette fall to the ground and then get smothered by an invisible foot.  
  
*  
  
(A/N- Okay, just found one of those problems that come up when I just post chapters immediately after finishing them and don't giving much thought to the little important details. Half of what Spike has is invisible, and the other half visible. People can see his beer and cigarette's, but not his clothing, contact lenses, whatever. Okay, so here's a quick explanation I just came up with- he's wearing what he wore when he died, and thus it is also invisible. This means he can't change his clothing, but hell, he doesn't have B.O anyway. So, okay, you got that? Good! Now keep reading. - Rio.)  
  
"Really Faye, you may not think it, but I believe you truly have made some fantastic progress with this bounty. From what I've heard just now you've had some great leads," Shinji said, sipping from his wine glass as he continued to look at the woman sitting across from him. Faye smiled and picked up her own crystal goblet.  
  
"Well thank you," she decided to say, tired of trying to convince this man she really was the brainless slut everyone took her for. After skipping around some more fast food fish places, and finding no trace of Yoloko, Shinji had insisted he treat Faye to an expensive lunch at a more upper-class seafood restaurant. Hey, maybe they'd see Yoloko there! Finally Faye found herself ordering whatever she wanted on the menu, and not have to worry about scrounging up enough money to pay for it all. And when she sat with Shinji it really did look as though she belonged in the snooty restaurant.  
  
'I wonder just how many of these fish restaurants I've been to in the past few days,' Faye thought distantly as a waiter reached the couple with two trays of exquisitely prepared food. 'Too many. God. I don't even like fish!'  
  
"So, what do you plan to do from here? We haven't seen Yoloko or any of her men all day." Shinji admitted as he cut into his lunch.  
  
"Well, I really don't know, honestly. I was thinking we could stop by some of the connections I have around here. Last time I tried that I was almost killed by some people looking out for Yoloko so hey, you never know." Faye said, remembering Tom's store.  
  
"All right." Shinji agreed hesitantly.  
  
The rest of the meal went pleasantly, Faye indulging in some flirting with Shinji since he seemed so eager to start it up, and forty-five minutes later she found herself exiting the restaurant, forcing herself not to look at the hefty bill Shinji insisted he was covering, and walking out into the warm day while he retrieved their bags and other articles they had had checked inside. She folded her arms and looked out across the street, wondering if going to some of her connections that day really was a good idea. She wanted desperately to impress Shinji so he would help her out some more financially with this bounty, but didn't know how to go about doing this, and doubted her less than helpful connections in Neptune City would be awe inducing material. Usually the trouble and clues came to her, and she was suddenly unaccustomed to find there to be no leads or angry people out for her blood anywhere in sight.  
  
"Where's somebody trying to shoot my head off when I need one?" she growled, rubbing her temples.  
  
It was at that moment that a screeching sound from down the block reached Faye's ears. She abruptly turned to see what the fuss was about, immediately spotting a black car with darkly tinted windows violently maneuvering its way through traffic to get down the street, heading straight towards the restaurant. Faye watched it with wide eyes, something in the back of her head urging her to duck. Fast. No, she couldn't be THAT lucky though.  
  
"Oh my GOD!" And yet, she was. As the black shiny car sped towards her, Faye spotted the window begin to lower, and a gun attached to a hand be thrust out of it. It seemed as though they were pointing the gun at her.  
  
"Faye, I have your purse-"  
  
"Get DOWN Shinji!" Faye screamed, leaping for the man carrying her belongings as he departed the restaurant, hearing the loud sound of glass breaking above her as she tackled the surprised looking Shinji to the ground by grabbing him around the knees. The two crashed into the pavement, lying as flat as they could as the car sped by. Faye reaching into her purse Shinji was clasping to himself with a vice like grip to retrieve her own semi-automatic. Taking off the safety, and thanking all the God's she knew that she hadn't been shot yet, Faye took aim as the car continued to race away.  
  
"Cowards!" she cried, shooting the car a few times and smiling in satisfaction as she watched the back windshield shatter. The car stopped at the end of the block suddenly, and Faye got a sinking feeling as it did so. Did they plan on coming back? She had to get out of there! However, the car seemed to change its mind at the last moment, and disappeared around a corner. Faye let out a breath of relief, but at the same time got to her feet and started sprinting down the block after the automobile. She couldn't let it go.  
  
"Faye!" the shell-shocked Shinji called after her. "Where are you going?!"  
  
"I'm going to chase that car!" she called over her shoulder.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" But Faye didn't slow down as she heard the man began to jog after her, determined to get rid of her attackers once and for all, and find out who they worked for exactly if they were those civilians always coming after her, or where Yoloko was if it happened to be her guards trying to kill her again. Not to mention what she had done to get under their skin so. Enough was enough!  
  
*  
  
Spike hadn't honestly expected to find anything when he set out that day. He was invisible, nobody in this town knew he existed or that he was connected to Faye Valentine, and he didn't really know what the men he was searching for look like. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and he considered the day a wasted one as he drifted down the street looking bored and alone.  
  
He had been trying to think about positive things while aimlessly wandering the streets with nothing but Faye's laptop, like being visited by Ed and Ein, and the possibility that they would be able to see him. but all he could think about was how pathetic he was when he was in love. It had been the same with Julia. It made him weak, and he hated the feeling. But of course, enjoyed it at the same time.  
  
'God. I'm like. a masochist.'  
  
Luckily, Spike was saved from thinking these things over anymore by the distinct sound of gunshot in the distance. It was funny, but the second he heard the screeching car and bullets hitting glass, the first thing that came to mind was, 'Oh, Faye must be near-by.'  
  
Acting on this thought, Spike wandered across the street, keeping an eye peeled for a voluptuous purple haired woman and an unhealthy amount of men with guns following her. but all he got was a black car hurling itself around the corner. Spike stared at it uneasily. Had it been the car shooting just a few moments ago? He stared after it for a second, before he felt a particularly harsh gust of wind zip by him. Upon further inspection he found it to be Faye, dashing after the car.  
  
'Yeah. That was probably the car I heard shooting up the window,' Spike acknowledged, as he watched Shinji chase after Faye a few moments later. Sighing, Spike followed the duo, admittedly a bit curious to find out just what was going on.  
  
"Stop! Stop you assholes!" Faye screamed, shooting at the car as it failed to slow down, soon shooting out two more windows, and getting a good look at the people inside the four seater. She let out a mental groan as she realized it was Yoloko's guards. This whole thing was getting pretty repetitive.  
  
'It's high time I figured what the fuck is going on around here.' She decided as she began to catch up with the car when it became faced with traffic that it was unable to fiercely barrel through.  
  
"Get out of the car or I'll shoot!" Faye yelled, aiming for the tires as she found herself only a few yards away now.  
  
It was around then that someone leaned out of the window, stupidly putting themselves at risk of being shot into something akin to Swiss cheese by the highly aggravated Faye, and chucked a small round object at the bounty huntress. Faye came to a halt to examine what had been thrown at her feet. Her highbrows nearly flew off her head as she realized just what was rolling towards her.  
  
"GRENADE!" she screamed, turning on her heal and throwing herself as far as she could down the street before there was a bone rattling explosion and Faye was thrown onto the oncoming Shinji, wincing as she felt the heat bite at her back, and the wind get knocked out of her. GOD! They had NOT just thrown a hand grenade at her!  
  
The distant sound of laughing could be heard as the traffic moved and the car got away, unfortunately unable to see what had happened to their pray in the explosion because of all the smoke wafting through the air.  
  
"Faye?" Shinji asked weakly of the woman lying on top of him. Faye took in a deep breath, badly shaken but alive, craning her head around to see what damage had been done, and wincing as she realized if she didn't get out off the street soon she'd be brought in for questioning. There was a fairly deep crater in the sidewalk now, and the explosion had flung debris all around the block, not to mention lit a tree of fire and burned down someone's front garden. Faye drew in a haggard breath and braced her hands on either side of Shinji's head, incredibly weak and shocked, but ready to try to stand and get back to the house for a nice bath and some sleep. "Faye." Shinji repeated, his breath a bit huskier this time.  
  
"Hm?" Faye finally replied, looking down from where she was leaning above Shinji, wincing as a trickle of cold blood made its way down her hot and stinging back.  
  
"You saved my life. back there. With the guns," he said breathlessly, his eyes staring into her own, rather out of focus ones. While Faye was trying to gather her thoughts and strength, Shinji's gaze slipped down to Faye's rack which was rather nicely resting just above him, before giving into his primal urges and darting up to catch the woman's lips in a kiss. Faye squeaked in shock and lost control of her arms, which were already quivering before this man had rudely kissed her without her permission.  
  
"MmmShinmi." Faye mumbled into the kiss, quickly recovering from her shock to wrench her head away from the rich attractive man's. Wait! What was she doing?! This wasn't the Faye-way! When in lip lock with a very rich, very delectable man - KEEP GOING!  
  
"Faye?" Shinji asked, glancing up to look at the woman he had become enamored with, a slightly dazed expression on his face. Faye glanced at Shinji as she sat up and tried to get her mind off the burning sensation still flaring behind her. Right. She needed to get away from the crime scene.  
  
And she needed to figure out why she was so against making out with this man who could make her just as rich, if not richer than she would be if she finally captured Yoloko and got her bounty. One word came to mind that covered it all.  
  
Spike.  
  
'Remember, you're sort of falling in love with him. again.' Faye reminded herself. She sighed, thinking about her old friend and current ghost who she admittedly secretly adored, just like the idiotic girl she knew she was. She couldn't be with anyone else while that lunkhead was on her mind.  
  
"I'm sorry," Faye said, standing up and taking Shinji by the hand. "But I can't do this. And we need to get out of here - Now."  
  
"What? Why?" Shinji asked, trying to clear the cobwebs from his head as he raced down the street, to the tune of cop car's sirens singing in the distance.  
  
"Because I'm not in love with you," Faye explained.  
  
"Oh. Not even a little?" Shinji asked as the duo continued to race down the next block, nearing the third and still being too close to the explosion site for Faye's comfort.  
  
"No. Not even a little," Faye called back to the man she was still leading. "I like you because you're rich and make me feel talented, even though everything I accomplish happens because of dumb luck. I appreciate that you are paying for the house I'm staying in and the guns I'm using but it can't be any more than that. I'll avenge your brother and bring Yoloko to justice, and." Faye stopped; breathing hard after having reached the fourth block and deciding that they could both use a break. ".And we're going to have to leave it at that,"  
  
Okay, maybe she had been a bit too honest there.  
  
"Um - all right," Shinji said jerkily, rubbing his head. He wasn't used to being shot at and caught in explosions, and everything was taking longer to compute.  
  
"Are you really okay with that?" Faye asked critically.  
  
"Well. not really I guess," Shinji sighed. "But on the other hand it's my fault too. I shouldn't have kissed you. you're working on a case to find my brother's murdered; you're not some girl I can go out with. You're right. Even if I do find you unreasonably attractive, I should have kept my tongue in my mouth," My my, everybody was being pretty blatant today.  
  
"It's all right. You were in shock. You're not cut out for this bounty hunting business. And honestly Shinji, as much as I do appreciate everything you've done for me and this bounty. I think it would be for the best if you went back home and observed things from afar." Faye said honestly, deciding that if she was going to voice her opinions, hell, she was going to voice ALL of them.  
  
"You're right. I'm sort of in the way, aren't I?" Faye took a moment to think about how moody Spike was when it came to Shinji, and nodded her head affirmatively.  
  
"Yeah, a little,"  
  
"I understand. I really am rather green to all this. I'm a businessman for Christ's sake! I'll just keep an eye on things from back home. This is obviously a job for professionals." Shinji said sagely. Faye agreed, still liking the way he complimented her.  
  
"For sure. But. you're not mad at me right? You're not. planning on taking away the house?" she asked carefully.  
  
"Of course not. You still need everything I can give to help you with this case, and I'm not just going to take it way because you're in love with someone else," Shinji said, shaking his head while laughing deprecatingly.  
  
"Right. Of course. I - wait. What?" Faye squawked, eyes widening. "How did you know I was-?"  
  
"Oh don't kid yourself- you're like an open book. I could tell you were in love with some other guy the whole time. I guess I was just hoping."  
  
'God. He must be for real, he's never even seen me with any other man and he knows! I'm so pathetic.'  
  
"I'm really sorry," Faye blurted, not really feeling sorry, but figuring she should say it anyway. How could she feel sorry about being in love with Spike?  
  
"It's all right. Hey, I'll see you around, okay?" Shinji said pleasantly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning to walk back down the street, towards the train station. Faye blinked after him, before gathering her wits and shouting a polite 'Bye!' Wow. That had been. rather odd.  
  
'Not to mention, I just officially admitted I'm in love with another man. And it's Spike.' Faye added, as she began to travel in the other direction - to the house. She had something to discuss with her fuzzy haired partner, and it was rather important.  
  
*  
  
Spike couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
First off, someone had just chucked a grenade at Faye, which had been bad. But what had been even worse was the feeling that he was never going to get there in time to throw her out of harm's way. He yelled her name, hoping she would hear it and automatically rush towards him. Well, she didn't hear him, but she did turn to run away from the explosion, and got thrown into Shinji who was kind enough to soften her fall. Spike shielded himself from the explosion, unable to be injured but able to feel the heat blow past him. God! These people were insane! Who threw grenades around in perfectly nice and respectable neighborhoods?  
  
This case was getting too dangerous for his tastes.  
  
By the time Spike opened his eyes to search for Faye, she was sprawled out on the sidewalk on top of Shinji. Letting out a breath of relief to the fact that she didn't look too injured outwardly, the invisible man started forward.  
  
And then he paused.  
  
Faye was. leaning over Shinji, bracing her arms on either side of his head, and looking down at him. saying something. the position looked a bit compromising but Spike brushed it off and continued towards the fallen couple.  
  
That is until they started making out.  
  
Right in front of the ex- bounty hunter's eyes, Shinji leaned up and started kissing Faye.  
  
And Faye didn't really look to be resisting.  
  
In fact she sort of collapsed onto him to further continue the passionate moment.  
  
Spike closed his eyes and turned away, unable to stand anymore of this. How. why? Why was she!?.  
  
Well damn, what was he talking about, 'why'? This was Faye. Faye who hadn't changed, obviously. God. How could he have thought she was something special? Something different? Someone he could love? He spared one glance back at his 'partner', regretting it as he found her to be saying something softly to Shinji, quickly turning back around and taking off at a brisk pace down the street, his face cold and blank, his eyes harsh and sharp. he didn't look furiously angry or enraged. He didn't look depressed or deeply saddened either. He just looked. Resigned. This was Faye Valentine. He could lust, but he could not love.  
  
*  
  
Yoloko pierced her lips and stared at the four assembled hired body guards standing in front of her, of whom she occasionally paid extra to go out and murder people, listening to their story of earlier that day when she had sent them out to assassinate the most annoying woman she had ever encountered with one ear while she silently simmered.  
  
"-So then we were like, 'Enough of this man!' and Daisuke here chucked a grenade at the bitch and BAM! The entire like, block exploded and we knew we had toasted her ass. Like, she is fried," one guard said, snickering much like a high school boy to his fellow comrades as they reflected on the fact that, yes, the target Valentine was VERY deceased.  
  
"Yeah, you don't have to worry about that annoying bounty hunter any more, OR that pesky brother in-law Madam!" Another guard added triumphantly.  
  
"Really? That's so interesting," Yoloko said causally, motioning for her wandering photographer in the corner to come closer with the new Polaroid's he had collected just recently. "Because, according to these pictures. Ms. Valentine seems to be alive and kicking,"  
  
"What?" one guard squawked, confused, and hustling over to the picture held delicately in Yoloko's thin hand. Indeed, captured in the photograph was Faye and Shinji, looking relieved to be alive and standing just behind the blazing fire the grenade had created. Damn that photographer was good.  
  
"." the guards said nothing as they registered what the picture was telling them and what that look on their boss's face suggested, fearing the worst.  
  
"I wonder, why is it that we can't seem to get rid of this one woman," Yoloko said softly, as if more to herself than anyone else. The guards remained silent, and eventually the dark haired woman sighed and tossed the picture to the ground, frowning. "Well, we have no more time to worry about her. We have a shipment to carry out and it's getting closer to the due date. If we leave her alone she'll be too stupid to figure out everything we're doing until it's too late anyway," the woman decided firmly. The guards nodded in agreement, but more so just because they didn't want to be yelled at.  
  
"All right then, we start tomorrow on Mr. Lincoln's shipment, and we abort the Faye Valentine plan. She's just like a cockroach, annoying but essentially harmless. Mr. Lincoln's order is going to be the biggest one yet and we must dedicate all of our time to it, so prepare yourselves, everyone,"  
  
*  
  
Digging around in her purse for her keys, Faye bit her lip as she ran over the speech in her head. She had been making up what she was going to say to Spike the entire walk home, and was nearly shaking with nervousness. How was he going to take this? This was Spike Spiegel! The man hardly had any feelings to work with, and she wasn't sure what his reaction would be to her final confession after all this time. She had always gotten the sense that while he might enjoy her company at times. he didn't feel for her like she did for him.  
  
And Faye feared unrequited love and betrayal above all else.  
  
"Hello!" she called into the dark house as she pushed open the door. When she realized that none of the lights were on, she speculated if maybe Spike wasn't back yet. Biting her lip, and wondering if she would be able to take waiting until he got back, Faye trotted into the living room, throwing her purse aside and anxiously glancing around. "Hello? Spike?"  
  
"I'm here," a low voice said from off to her left. Faye gasped and spun on her heel in time to catch Spike drifting through the door of his room, arms folded. Faye smiled nervously at him. Spike took it as a guilty expression.  
  
"Oh, good! Hey, um. I wanted to talk to you about something." Faye said, laughing uneasily and coming to stand in front of the tall man,  
  
"Me too," Spike said shortly.  
  
"Um. okay. you first!" Faye said, suddenly realizing she had forgotten her speech, and desperately trying to remember what the first line was.  
  
"All right. We need to get this case over with. Soon. I can't stand working like this anymore," Anything Faye had been wanting to say died in her throat.  
  
"W-what? " Faye stuttered, taken off guard by Spike's harsh, and bitter tone. What was wrong? She knew he wanted to get back to wherever it was he had come from soon, but he had never been this snappy about it before.  
  
"I can't work with you anymore Faye. I don't want to hang around this Godforsaken planet. I just want to leave. I was killed, I deserve to be dead already! I deserve to rest!"  
  
"Spike." Faye breathed, eyes wide and mouth parted with shock. What was he saying? He wanted to leave her? But Spike was on a roll, his feeling of betrayal and spite burning strong inside him as pictures of Faye and Shinji rolled relentlessly through his head.  
  
"Listen Faye, I don't know why this is such a shocker for you. I don't even know why this bothers you! You've got Shinji? What will it matter when I'm gone? You don't need me around." He spat coldly, as Faye collapsed onto the couch, staring at him with disbelief.  
  
"Shinji?" she croaked.  
  
"Listen, It just frustrates me that you're making out with our . our suppliers on the job! We don't have time for these antics!" Spike finally spat, eyebrows furrowing together, and arms folded as he finally showed a bit of anger, and a bit of discomfort outwardly. Faye didn't catch it though as he head began to spin. Oh no. making out? He must have seen her when Shinji. but how?  
  
"No Spike! Listen!" she said suddenly, getting to her feet and trying to look him in the eye as he averted his gaze stiffly.  
  
"No, you listen Faye! I can't wait to get back up to heaven, and leave all of this shit on Earth behind. I can't wait to see everyone who is expecting me back up there. I don't want to stay here any longer, and I just want you to get your ass into gear with this case. That's it." He said finally. Faye couldn't; believe her ears as she felt her heart plummet and the world come crashing down right in the living room. God, no. he wasn't saying this. not when she . she had.  
  
Ring. Ring.  
  
Almost dourly Faye craned her head around to the door, listening to the doorbell with disbelief. Just what she needed. great. Who the hell did she know who would visit her now? Nobody even knew where she was living! Was it Shinji again? She didn't need to see him now. God, not now when she had to try desperately to convince Spike she had never cared about the man.  
  
"I'll get it." she said dully, stumbling over to the door and biting back the tears, because she knew they wouldn't work on Spike. He had seen too many tears to be affected by them. If Spike thought Faye's odd attitude towards his proclamation was curious, he didn't say anything. He was too furious to analyze HER actions when he was carefully calculating his own. He had to forget about Faye. she was no good for him. the only person who had ever made him feel whole was Julia. that's right. Julia.  
  
"Hello-" Faye started, carefully opening the door and peering out into the darkness of the evening.  
  
"HELLLOOOOO FAYE-FAYE!!" An impossibly high-pitched voice cried. Faye's eyes widened and her head snapped down to find, a little bit taller, a little bit older.. "It's been so long! So long long long long long!" Ed.  
  
"Ruff!" Ein added from the young hacker's arms, doing a happy dog pant as Spike's eyes widened from behind Faye. This was it. another step towards.  
  
"Ahhhh!!" Ed cried in excitement, pointing beyond the purple haired woman towards the green haired man with eyes as wide as saucers, as she dropped the Welsh corgi to the ground in her shock. "SPIKE! You're ALIIIVEEE!" Spike digested this statement for a moment, staring levelly back at the fifteen year old*, while Faye watched the light haired dog run in circles around her feet, yapping contentedly when Faye could do nothing but smile sourly back.  
  
"So. You can see me. That's odd." Spike mentioned after an extended silence.  
  
* *- Um, I don't know how old Ed was originally. If someone could tell me that would be fab.  
  
*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I would like to take this time to lament over the fact that Douglas Adams is dead. He was a brilliant man who was alive when I was reading his books, and is now dead when I am finishing all of them. I regret the fact that I could have met him some years past and did not. If there is one dead person I could have a chance to see it would be that man, because he is so damn amusing and intelligent. The live person I would like to meet with being Sandra Tsing-Lo. Writer of 'A Year in Van Nuys', and 'If You Lived Here You'd be Home By Now'. God. Those are really funny too.  
  
Back to Cowboy Bebop.  
  
All right, I'm sorry I did what I did but I won't take it back! Things were getting too mushy between Faye and Spike and they needed to be tossed around a bit. But don't worry, Ed will fix all. I think. look out for the next chapter 'The Fish', and e-mail me with all questions and concerns at papaya41@aol.com. Thank you for bearing with me, and please please please review or I may not get to finishing this one. Ever since adult swim moved it to weeknights I've missed seeing episodes and am feeling distinctly uninspired.  
  
~Rio Grande.  
  
P.S- Finals are next week, which means expect the next chapter even later. Seriously, don't even check back here for like, three weeks. Well, I mean you can obviously check on the Bebop section. there are other fics here you know. The world does not revolve around Troubles With God! I know that! It's just. it's just that bloody hell I need to study. sorry. bye. I'm so very tired.  
  
P.S.S- I read over this entire fic not even once, just in bits and pieces, so please forgive me if the grammar is atrocious and everything sort of makes no sense. 


	7. AUTHOR'S IMPORTANT NOTE

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Okay, so, here's the plan: I've come to the conclusion that it's not fair for the readers of my fics to have to wait for months on end for one measly chapter to come out, so I'm temporarily dropping two of my four fics, in order to further dedicate myself to the remaining ones. Unfortunately. Troubles With God happens to be one of those stories I plan to leave alone for a while.  
  
Not to say I won't be back! This story is far from over and I love it dearly, so don't think I'm just going to leave everything as is. However, unless there are a considerable about of objections that really get to me. I will most likely not be updating for many months. Occasionally, if I'm tres bored, I'll feed you all little teasers, but don't count on it.  
  
I'm sooo sorry about all this, but, on the other hand, if you're into either Spirited Away or Ranma ½, you can read the work I'll be continuing with those series while you wait! Or. not. whatever! Have a nice day and once again accept my sincere apologies,  
  
Rio Grande (papaya41@aol.com) 


	8. The Fish

Hey all,  
  
It's been a while. but. I just read the entire previous chapter last night, and realized I'm very pleased with the way this fic in particular has been progressing. It's written far better than most of my other stories, with the possible exception of maybe one or two, and the plot has a bright future. I would know.  
  
I'm sorry I had to drop that whole 'hiatus' thing on you all, but I'm glad no one was too pissed, and it was nice for about, oh, maybe a month to feel no commitment towards this one story. Of course, now that the month is up, I'm having separation anxiety, and can't bear to leave Troubles With God alone any longer.  
  
However, this chapter will be fairly shorter than others, I hope you all understand. Never fear, it's still going to be crammed with lots of important stuff - in fact, this is possibly one of the most important chapters you should read, in order to understand the plot.  
  
A hint for readers: Remember some of the old characters from the very first chapters. They're coming baaackk.  
  
I don't own Cowboy Bebop, and please everyone - Review! You know the drill. (Yay! Ed's in the story!)  
  
*  
  
O, My Troubles With God.  
  
By Rio Grande  
  
Chapter Six: The Fish. (Finally! We find out just what's up with the FISH!)  
  
*  
  
Across the bright computer screen, in an e-mail addressed to HotPkerAlice4, in a dark font, from an anonymous person with no identity accessible to people of Faye's laughable computer expertise - were four words:  
  
NO. WATCH THE 'FISH'!  
  
Faye stared at the electronic message for some time, her face framed by her hands, her eyes wide and unseeing, and her lips slightly parted. She looked exhausted and lost, and it was almost fifteen minutes after opening the message did the bounty hunter finally realize she had yet to read the actual contents of the e-mail. She shook her head and quickly read; cursing herself for being so damned weak and plagued with silly emotions like guilt, compassion and love.  
  
Why was that excuse for a man making her feel so stupid? Ever since their fight last night, Faye had been able to focus on nothing but Spike, and it was beginning to get her down. Why was this stupid argument (That was COMPLETELY not her fault in any way shape or form!) annoying her so?  
  
'Because you know you owe it to him to try to explain everything again.' An incessant voice in the back of Faye's head pointed out helpfully.  
  
Scowling, Faye lay back in the white leather couch, folding her arms and deciding it was high time she got her mind off her undead 'friend', and back onto more pressing matters. Like the mysterious email. It was the second one now, and apparently whoever had sent it was keeping close enough tabs on her to realize that she was following their clues wrong: They knew she had gone to some more seafood restaurants in response to their last e- mail, 'Watch the fish', and were trying to lead her in the right direction as discreetly as they could.  
  
"It would sure help a lot if they'd just come out and tell me what the Hell they're trying to say!" Faye growled, gnashing her teeth in frustration. She sat silently for a few more minutes, quietly mulling over the message, and coming up with only the most obvious answers for the confusing email. Watch the fish sounded pretty direct, but their must be some sort of hidden message! They couldn't just mean she had to.  
  
"Faye Faye!" a positively feverishly happy voice cried, leaping into the room and throwing themselves over the older woman's shoulder, coming up from behind her while Faye was still seated on the sofa. Faye cried out with fear, before remembering that it was only Ed, the girl genius who was currently living with her now, and had been very noticeably asserting herself into she and Spike's life during the past, oh twelve hours she had been with them. "Good mooorrrnnniinnng!"  
  
"Morning Ed," Faye sighed wearily, as she watched the fifteen-year- old slide down the couch and drop into a human puddle around Faye's feet, all the while keeping that silly grin plastered to her face. So three years had passed - Ed was still Ed, and Faye took a very strange comfort in that knowledge.  
  
Time had taken some sort of toll on Edward though. For starters - she was older, and that meant inevitable alterations were bound to take place. She had grown much taller, while still remaining a total beanpole - all flesh and bones - and there were some noticeable changes to her style. Because of a healthy amount of growth in certain areas, Ed now wore a more concealing white t-shirt, topped with a black, button down jacket to go with. Of course. she was still wearing spandex shorts. Purple ones now, though. In addition, the tan girl's flame red hair had grown longer, and had thus been placed into a high, messy ponytail. On her head she still wore her usual goggles, and she now adorned shoes when traveling, acquiring a pair of strawberry red flip-flops.  
  
Bangles that made very Ed-like jingling sounds when she moved coated her wrists - but through it all, she had most definitely not lost her peculiar sense of humor.  
  
"Faye Faye is going out?" Ed asked, staring up at Faye, upside down and sprawled on the rug. Faye glanced down at the teen with a small degree of adoration hidden in her vibrant turquoise eyes - after all, at one point, Faye had been closer to Ed than any other crew member of the Bebop, and it was things like these that Faye was slow to forget.  
  
Ed had never REALLY let her down in life, emotionally or otherwise, when you got right down to it, and was probably one of the only people in Faye's life who hadn't - including herself. She would always respect Ed for that.  
  
The girl was staying in one of the two remaining guest rooms, and had already fully settled down, having taken out her sparse amount of personal items and giving the room a distinctly messy, Radical Edward twist.  
  
"Yeah - work to do. What are you doing?" Faye asked, resting her chin on her hand, and regarding Ed as she rolled around on the ground with a lazy gaze.  
  
"Staying with Spikey-head. I promised I would talk to him!" Ed explained, giggling immaturely. Even under all that growth, she still had the face of a child, and probably the soul of one too. Faye rather liked that, and sometimes wished she could be as blithe as Ed.  
  
"I see," Faye said, feinting impartialness.  
  
Ed had been particularly enthralled with Spike after arriving at the house, and while Faye did feel a little left out of the entire exiting reunion- ness, she couldn't really hold it against Ed. She had been the same way a bit after finding Spike's ghost. After all, who WOULDN'T be amazed?  
  
What confused Faye was why Ed hadn't been able to see Spike before coming to the house. How come Faye was the only one able to see Spike right off the bat, and how come suddenly Ed miraculously could see the dead man too? These questions, as well as many others, were plaguing Faye currently, but she knew all these problems and more could be addressed after she captured Yoloko. If she ever did, that is.  
  
"I just have to figure out this little riddle." Faye murmured, glancing at her laptop once more, brow creasing as she pondered the message again.  
  
"Hmmm. Spikey head and me are going to scan the nety-net for Yoloko hints," Ed said, lifting her legs over head and bracing her hands on the ground. Spike had apparently filled Ed in on all of the intimate details of the hunt, while Faye had been in another room with her head between her legs, trying to calm down. Even though she wouldn't admit it, that outburst with Spike, and all of the confused emotions, was getting to her more than they really should.  
  
"Mornin'," Spike said, strolling into the room, and heading straight over to the refrigerator.  
  
"Hellohellohello," Ed rambled joyously, watching as Ein trotted out of Spike's room as well, and followed the man like a second shadow. It seemed as though the data dog was having a hard time believing Spike was truly back, and refused to let him leave his line of vision - like a parole officer warily watching an ex-murderer after being miraculously released from a life sentence.  
  
"What's the plan for today?" Spike asked shortly, pouring himself a cup of orange juice, and never looking up to actually address Faye properly.  
  
"Um. well I got another hint, so I thought I'd take a stroll around town." the bounty hunter said, as nonchalantly as she could, pretending to be inspecting her nails carefully. However, after an elongated silence, she couldn't resist the urge to take a peak and see what Spike was doing. To her horror, he was staring right at her.  
  
With the coldest glare she had ever seen him direct at her.  
  
Usually his scowls positioned towards her were a bit playful, or at least condescending. Which frustrated her enough, but. but this one was just. actively angry. The man was pissed. Pissed at her. And all because.  
  
'All because he misinterpreted a really awkward situation!' Faye fumed, averting her gaze from Spike's, a distinctly annoyed look flashing across her pretty features as she recalled she and Shinji's brief, terrible make out session.  
  
There was a period of time in which only the distant gibbering of Ed occupied the large, empty space between Faye and Spike. before the woman let out a very large sigh and jumped to her feet. She couldn't take this anymore. She was too frustrated, and couldn't bring herself to talk to Spike when he had been such an ass and assumed she was trying to jump some stranger's bones just the night before. Did he hold such a low opinion of her? - the thought urged Faye to grab her coat from the rack and storm towards the door with a purpose in her step.  
  
Damn man. it was almost impossible to stand being within a ten mile radius of him anymore, and even if she had no idea where she was going, Faye was prepared to leave the house to take to the streets. Hopefully this action would get her mind off the dead man and occupy her with thoughts of her bounty.  
  
"Faye Faye! Where are you going?" Ed called to the woman's rapidly retreating back. Spike glowered darkly from the kitchen, gripping his cup of juice with a shaking hand. Fine - she could leave, who the fuck cared?  
  
"Out," Faye said sharply. "I'll be back later." And then, with a final, dramatic, slamming of the door, she was gone. Ed sat silently for a moment, her eyebrows lowered as she pondered what she had just witnessed. An obviously tense moment between Faye and Spike - not so unlike the ones that had been going on since she step foot in the house - and a huffy exit by the peeved lady, while Spike sat, simmering darkly in the background. Hmmm.  
  
This looked like a job for Radical Edward.  
  
"You ready to talk, Spikey- head?"  
  
*  
  
Row and rows of towering crates, reaching high to the sky, immense and looking as though they might fall onto her at any given minute, accompanied by the sound of cawing gulls. the tide encroaching upon the shore with the gentle swish of the waves. distant voices talking amongst each other as machinery milled its way around the merchandise. the wooden sound of her feet padding along the dock.  
  
Faye hugged her light sweater closer to her as she stood at the edge of the old dock, gazing out into the harbor with hooded eyes. So far she had seen nothing suspicious, but that didn't necessarily mean nothing suspicious was taking place.  
  
Although she knew it was a silly lead to follow, and one that would inevitably wind up leaving her with a wasted afternoon - Faye had headed down to the docks that morning. Here, crates of fish had been dropped of earlier that morning by space ships from other colonies with better produce, soon to be picked up by local traders and taken to the fish market for the restaurants and street venders to sell.  
  
It was so simple. 'Watch the Fish'.and because Faye couldn't think of any better options, she had resorted to most literally, 'watching the fish', since she doubted even if Spike had had any good ideas about the confusing message he wouldn't have shared them with her. She was one her own for today, and possibly would be staying alone until things cooled down back at the house, and damned if she wasn't going to try her best until then.  
  
Taking out a cigarette, Faye narrowed her eyes and stared silently off into the distance as she spotted some figures conversing and traveling around the maze of sickly smelling crates, and dripping nets filled with still flopping fish. She didn't know herself what she was hoping to find in this place, but she figured there was no harm in following a few traders around, and maybe making a few inquiries.  
  
The crates were positioned so that there were rows and rows of them with narrow enough spaces for people and small automobiles to travel between, dark markings on different crates indicating where the merchandise had come from, and what contents lay inside them. For instance, 'Earth - Trout.' Faye gave the trout crate a pining look, trout being the only fish she could really enjoy, and there being such a shortage of it these days.  
  
Faye cautiously peered in between the rows of boxes, keeping both eyes peeled for anyone who looked particularly evil. In one row she spotted two burly, grubby fisherman heatedly discussing a shipment, but it sounded essentially harmless, so Faye quickly continued on.  
  
Hiding in another row, she caught sight of a young woman, wearing a large jacket, and hesitantly gazing up at the crates, while walking anxiously down the isles. Faye narrowed her eyes, finding this woman to be oddly out of place, and even more disturbing - a bit familiar. However, by the time Faye had wrapped her brain around this concept, the woman had zipped around a corner and was gone. Faye stared at the empty space she had inhabited just a moment ago, before sighing and continuing on her way.  
  
After many more rows of empty space and the continual, unrelenting stench of seafood, Faye was considering turning around and chasing after that mysterious woman. when she heard hushed voices. Suspiciously recognizable hushed voices, that made something in the pit of her stomach churn uncomfortably as the other woman's presence had not.  
  
Pressing her back up to a tower of crates, Faye held her breath and listened to the conversation going on in just the other row, straining to make out words when the people were so obviously trying to conceal their voices.  
  
*  
  
"Keep loading those crates man, we have a deadline to make." Billy said in a low rasp, folding his arms anxiously in an effort to cool his nerves, and watching the other men shuffle about as quickly and quietly as they could, efficiently loading the heavy boxes onto a clean, white truck, rumbling expectantly near the back. This operation was going to be neat and flawless - or else it was his head.  
  
Billy and one other personal guard had been assigned to supervise the actions of the men at the dock, all who had been hired specially by Yoloko to transport her goods over to the special warehouse she had gained control over. Amazing what one could do when they were rich - the things they could get away with.  
  
Frowning deeply, the guard distantly wished that this whole part of the plan could be over and done with already, because even though it was early in the morning, he still felt awkward about transporting the products around in broad daylight. Still, it was the only time they could do this and not look too conspicuous. just another bunch of fish traders, getting a good start on the day. If they did this at night, eyebrows by local fishermen might be raised. The shipments were all delivered in the morning.  
  
Billy had just been about to turn to his partner and comment on how smoothly things were going, and how pleased Yoloko was sure to be. when a deafening crash caught his attention.  
  
"Dammit, you fool!" Billy hissed, marching forward irately, staring accusingly at the well paid man who had thoughtlessly dropped on of the many precious crates so that it crashed noisily to the ground, and the top was wrenched open, fish and protective packaging spilling everywhere. Billy felt sweat forming on his brow as he quickly pushed the box upright, and hurriedly began stuffing everything back in the concealing crate. But a flash of red caught his eye.  
  
'Shit,' Billy shot another blood curdling glare at the clumsy worker, so fixated on being angry with the careless idiot, he hardly noticed a woman curiously poking her head around the corner, and staring, transfixed, at the revealed contents of the crate.  
  
*  
  
Ed peaked at Spike from the corner of her light brown eye. He appeared to be transfixed with the computer screen, typing furiously and devotedly - but really he was creating an invisible, emotionally protective shell, it seemed, over his slightly transparent form. The girl mentally sighed and tucked a lock of wild red hair behind her ear. This could take a while.  
  
"Spike Spike find anything yet?" Ed asked casually, hacking the web on her own, notably more advanced laptop and looking up information on Yoloko. The woman's case WAS highly protected and concealed from prying eyes. but Ed would find what she wanted soon enough.  
  
"Nope," Spike replied dully. Ed sighed, staring at the ceiling for a minute.  
  
"So you and Faye got into a fight?" Spike did a double take, and Ed smiled big. Okay. So maybe patience and tact weren't her strong points - didn't mean she still couldn't help fix the problem!  
  
"No." Spike said firmly after a heavy pause, evidently having to think about that question for a second before coming up with an acceptable answer he felt comfortable revealing to Ed. "No we didn't."  
  
"Reaallly?" Ed asked skeptically in her singsong voice, turning her attention away from her computer so she could focus fully on the man sitting next to her on the tacky leather couch. "You don't say?"  
  
"Faye was just being Faye. I have no reason to be mad at her, so we aren't fighting." Spike reasoned, almost more to himself then to the girl staring at him, as though he were trying to convince himself that this lame explanation could hold water.  
  
"How so?" Ed pressed, her curiosity piqued. "Did Faye Faye do something bad?" Spike let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head wearily. Apparently, yesterday's events had taken their toll on him as well, for Ed could tell he looked just as emotionally exhausted as Faye was physically.  
  
"You could say that," Spike said, sticking to his elusive answers and obviously trying to evade telling Ed anything outright - although at least he hadn't tried to change the subject yet. "So, where are you searching for information on Yoloko? The FBI investigation section's information is too tightly guarded for me to get into." Okay. Scratch that last bit.  
  
Sighing resignedly, Ed turned her focus back to the computer - for the time being.  
  
"I'm searching in her husband's files, since he was a big important business man-guy and had lots of attention placed on him after his killing," she explained.  
  
"Good thinking,"  
  
"Yessm. And lookie! If you click through here, through this article's link about his crazy wife, and then to the website it leads to that specializes on Yoloko, and then through its connections that lead to criminal investigation units, and then hack through this little link right here." Spike's eyes widened as little Ed-heads popped up and scrambled the password system to admit the fourteen year old onto the protected website that held many of Yoloko's personal stats. Ed's advanced understanding of technology, and then her casual desecrating of it, never ceased to do less than amaze him. "- You get led right to Yoloko's information! And case descriptions, too!"  
  
"Jeez Ed."  
  
"No need to thank me!"  
  
"Hmm. let's see now," Spike murmured, tipping the laptop so that it faced him more, his eyes quickly scanning all of the information revealed to him. "Faye said that Yoloko's husband's family kept most of the important bits about the case closed off to the public because it was bad press for his family business, and that not even all of the information about the case had been revealed to Shinji. Lots of it was sketchy, confusing shit no one could figure out. Half of the case is purely guesswork, really. Especially since no one has got their hands on Yoloko yet."  
  
"Oh. SCARRRYY." Ed whispered in a low voice as she read over the case description carefully. "Yoloko's crazy!"  
  
"I know," Spike admitted with a small quirking of his lips.  
  
"And Faye is out there trying to find her all alone right now?" Ed pressed, evilly. A brief, pained expression washed over Spike's features, before the man frowned deeply and shrugged.  
  
"She can take care of herself. Now let's take a closer look at Yoloko's personal stats." Ed stared at Spike for a minute, her expression despondent over the fact that the man was obviously trying to hold back any and all emotions he might have for the female bounty hunter, before strengthening her resolve, and looking back at the computer screen, mentally already setting up another plan of attack.  
  
Spike WOULD crack!  
  
*  
  
Amidst the chaos that had swiftly descended upon the workers after having one of their precious cargo smash to the ground and spill every which way - Faye got down on her hands and knees and began to crawl towards one of the many flashes of red that had spilled out from under the fish. She bit her lip as she tried to blend in with the scenery as efficiently as she could while wearing bright red cut off shorts and a light purple jacket, practically flying towards the first red spot she could locate.  
  
Picking up the tiny vile of red liquid, one of many that was now circulating the vicinity, quickly being collected by many worried workers and two particularly frantic body guards, Faye quickly uncapped the vile, eyes widening as she delicately sniffed the contents. No. way.  
  
"Holy shit!" Faye whispered, sitting back on her heels and trying to find a route of escape as quickly as she could, right after she pocketed the Red Eye capsule. Spotting a relatively vacant way out, she sprung to her feet and made a speedy, quiet escape past a row of crates, heart pounding apprehensively in her chest. No way! She had found it! It was becoming so much clearer! Her biggest clue yet! It was -!  
  
"Hold it right there!" a booming voice ordered, Faye squeaking in terror as she felt a large, strong hand clamp down around her elbow and pull her away from her escape. Fearfully, she looked up at the menacing, peeved man wearing a finely pressed, black suit who was staring down at her accusingly. Faye got this sinking feeling he worked for Yoloko. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"Home," Faye said shortly, trying to wrench her arm away and look properly affronted at being stopped in such a way. "I'm late already, and I don't know what you think you're doing, handling me this way, but I appreciate if you'd let go right now! I have to get back to my house!" she continued, playing the part of the innocent pedestrian to a T.  
  
The guard was not fooled.  
  
"I know you!" he ground out, eyebrows lowering in such a way that Faye resisted the urge to cringe with trepidation. "You're that bounty hunter bitch who keeps messing up the bosses' plans! You're the one she wants dead!" he concluded triumphantly, suddenly looking a whole lot happier that he had found this woman snooping around. He flashed a smile that showed teeth as he quickly shook Faye about for a second, before roughly shoving her into the dock so that her head snapped back on the wood, and her arm that had suffered the bullet wound was used to soften her fall.  
  
"Ah!" she gasped in pain, eyes wide as she carefully lifted her arm off the ground with a pained expression. She was in for it now.  
  
"And what's this?" the guard asked, a collection of other workers hovering menacingly behind him now as he held in his hand the Red Eye capsule Faye had taken in-between two fingers. "Trying to get away with some incriminating evidence, were you? I think it's high time someone finally shut you up, bitch,"  
  
Faye, who was still partially recovering from shock over the fact that the guard knew what 'incriminating' meant, barely saw the finely made shoe coming at her until she had been kicked roughly in the ribs, twice.  
  
Wheezing, Faye tried to scramble backwards, trying to get to her feet, where she might have a better chance of fighting back at the guard, only to be actually lifted roughly to her feet by two workers, who held her by the arms in painfully tight grips.  
  
"Ms. Yoloko will pay me handsomely for your death, Faye Valentine. So I am afraid this is going to be the end of the line for you," the guard explained, as everyone around Faye got particularly grim expressions on their faces. "Goodbye,"  
  
Faye's eyes widened in horror, and she struggled vainly against the two buff workers that held her at the guard's mercy, a small scream escaping from her mouth as the guard threw a bone breaking punch at her face.  
  
*  
  
"I don't believe it," Spike said five minutes after reading, and then rereading Yoloko's profile, Ed right by his side, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "I mean, I knew that Shinji had told Faye it was possible that Yoloko was under the effects of heavy medication, or an illegal drug when she killed her family. but this. this is serious," he sighed, rubbing his head tiredly. "She had been on Red Eye for practically eight months!"  
  
"She must have been out of her mind when she killed her children," Ed pointed out, itching her nose with one hand and petting Ein slowly with the other. This whole case weirded her out a bit, and she wondered why Spike and Faye had stuck to it for so long. A week or so now, apparently.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Spike agreed, staring into the distance thoughtfully. "I think maybe we better find out who her dealer in the area was - that person may give us clues to her mental state in those last days, and possibly know what she planned to do after she murdered the people who mattered most to her.  
  
"Riiight!" Ed sang happily, snapping out of her quiet funk and rapidly typing some things into the computer. "She lived on the Earth in old Japan - in the city of Shairo - 34th street," she relayed to Spike, who quickly jotted all of the information down.  
  
"We'll have to do some research about that area's drug dealers, then,"  
  
"I want to see something about her husband," Ed mentioned, clicking a link that led her over to Mr. Ryo Tsow, husband to Yoloko Tsow, and beginning to read his information. "Maybe he was on drugs too? It could explain why a fight broke out between Yoloko and Ryo, when there was no further evidence that they were in an unhappy marriage,"  
  
"Except for what Shinji told Faye - you know, the part I mentioned where she kept coming to Shinji in tears, worried about her husband," Spike pointed out sarcastically.  
  
"Well - yes. there's that. Maybe the drugs had something to do with that too, though," Ed said, undaunted.  
  
"Yeah, that last bit still confuses me anyway. Why would SHE be worried about HIM when she was the one who ended up going crazy?"  
  
"Well, let's see." Ed said, her finger following the report of Ryo's health before the attack. "6'1, brown hair, green eyes, 150 pounds."  
  
". Possible Cancer." Spike added, his eyes immediately slipping to a section titled 'diseases and previous physical injuries.'  
  
"Hu?" Ed squeaked, looking at that section now as well, and reading the description out loud. "Victim was diagnosed after death with a possible form of leukemia cancer, most likely. Untreated, fatal and possibly rare form of. research on the subject was sparse. blood samples were as shown below." Barely pausing, Ed clicked on the link that led to the samples of Mr. Tsow's blood from the attack, letting Spike get a better look at it as his eyes narrowed carefully.  
  
"Does that. look like a cancerous disease to you?" he asked after a moment, frowning for a second before swiftly typing some things onto Faye's laptop, and entering a complicated looking program.  
  
Ed carefully cocked her head at the sample, brain working overtime.  
  
"No," she finally said. "But why would the police make a mistake? Why would they say he has a cancerous illness when he doesn't?"  
  
"Maybe he didn't have leukemia - but it looks as though he definitely had some sort of terminal disease. if I can just match up his blood samples with another disease on the computer, then maybe we'll get some solid answers to our questions,"  
  
"You think we should call Faye Faye, and let her know about all this?" Ed inquired.  
  
"I don't care," Spike replied quickly.  
  
"You don't..?" Ed asked carefully, spotting an opening to reaffirm the previous discussion they had been having about Faye before Spike had cleverly changed the subject. "Why are you being so cold to her? You've been really indifferent for a while now. Shouldn't you be happy to see your old friend after all this time of ."  
  
"It's not that," he said shortly, comparing Ryo's blood samples with other, newly created diseases that had been instated after people had taken to space. Ever since the human race had spread out all over the universe, the new amount of diseases that popped up was mind-boggling. This could take a while.  
  
"Then what is it?" Ed asked, getting to her feet and frowning at Spike, getting steadily frustrated with Spike's attempts to elude the problem at hand. "You've been really cold to her ever since I got here - and Faye looks so upset! What happened that would make things so tense, and do you honestly believe you can both continue and finish this case successfully if you don't work together?"  
  
"Stay out of this!" Spike snapped suddenly, turning to glare at the young girl who was lecturing him on things he already knew, and driving him to the brink of confession.  
  
But Ed's eyes flashed with pain, and Ein whimpered emotively by her feet, placing his head on the ground and looking up at Spike accusingly with hurt puppy-dog eyes. Spike saw all this and winced, turning away and mumbling a small apology for his outburst.  
  
"It's. it's not that I'm mad at her. I'm just. disappointed," he conceded.  
  
"Why? Because she's still the same Faye? The same clumsy, careless, crazy Faye - and not Julia?" Ed asked sharply. When Spike stared at her, speechless, at that last comment, she folded her arms and looked down at him condescendingly. "Don't think we didn't see what you saw in Faye on the Bebop, as well. There was always this . connection between you and Faye that was severely addled by the presence of Julia. You and she were good friends, and probably would have been more if you hadn't placed Julia on a pedestal in your mind, making her out to be some sort of angel no one could compare to." Ed said, so much of her actual age showing up in her voice, and making Spike wince with pain. These things she said.  
  
"It wasn't just that. I could never betray Julia," he said softly, suddenly realizing that these words admitted that he really had maybe WANTED to betray Julia with Faye, and gave away what he was really feeling inside. He sighed and shook his head hard, unable to believe how much had changed since he met up with Faye once more in this crazy city on Mars. He was going insane, and confessing things he never even dared to dream he felt inside - to Ed, of all people. "She was being hunted and chased around the galaxy because I messed up her life, and I couldn't just leave her alone, much less go screw some hot chick while she was away. Faye may have been close to me, but I could never leave Julia alone."  
  
"And now you've died for Julia - and that's STILL not enough compensation on your part? You STILL don't deserve to be with Faye?" Ed asked critically, folding her arms. "Don't deny it, you ended up looking at Faye as much more than 'some hot chick', yet you're doing nothing but push her away, as far as I can see!"  
  
"I haven't been pushing her away!" Spike replied harshly, his voice raw. "SHE'S been pushing me away! I - I had even considered. I was. but she's just the same as she always was! Slutty and cruel. I could never be with someone like her, and what I felt for her on the Bebop was most likely camaraderie and sisterly affection, nothing more."  
  
"I think if you'd just stop being so worried about getting having Faye laugh in your face about all this, you'd see that was a big fat lie," Ed decided, as Ein sat in the space between the girl genius and the undead man, who were both sitting cross legged now, almost painfully serious expressions pasted onto their faces. Spike had never seen this side of Ed, and suddenly he doubted if that was a bad thing. "Not to mention if you'd just let go of Julia."  
  
"It's NOT Julia! It's FAYE! I'm not trying to make her out to be Julia 2 here! They're different women who I felt bonded to for very different reasons - but Faye is just not the type of person I can be with! I see that now! And I'd rather die and go back to Julia finally, then stay here with an unfaithful whore like Faye!"  
  
The heaviness, and uncensored words hung heavy in the air, Spike looking slightly short of breath and more than a little angry, and Ed looking a bit shocked.  
  
"'Unfaithful?'" she repeated. "Doesn't unfaithful imply that she had to be WITH you first?" Spike looked slightly taken a back by that statement, still unable to wrap his mind around the idea that this girl, almost a woman, who had been so bouncy and carefree earlier, was not this serious, sensible person before him, who was making him delve into all of the nasty emotions he had simply wanted to filter into anger and use against Faye.  
  
"Well. I ."  
  
"You obviously never told Faye how you felt, so how could she betray you?"  
  
"It's not the betraying. it's the fact that she has loose morals. She made- I know she doesn't exactly care for being the dedicated, caring girlfriend, and I don't know if I can be with a woman who isn't devoted to me."  
  
"But. Faye is devoted! You've seen time and time again she'd risk a lot for her friends, and stick with them, and while she may not be as open with her emotions as others. it's only because of the experiences she's had over the years! We both know she can be compassionate. and you two always got along so well, even when you didn't always say what was bothering you. Don't pretend you didn't feel very strongly for her, and that suddenly it has dawned on you that she is a flirtatious ho - thus ending any hopes for a relationship. She's a gambler too, and she's messy, but isn't that what makes Faye so lovable to you? The bond?  
  
"Julia had a nasty past as well, and you'd be lying if you said that wasn't part of the appeal. You need someone who can understand you - and while I do feel for your position, I'm talking to you about this for Faye's sake as well. She needs someone to help her, and I'm just a sister to her. It's time you realized Julia wasn't the only one who can make you feel whole, and YOU'RE not the only one who feels lost sometimes. It's okay to like Faye because you can joke with her about things, and she makes you happy, even if she's not the angel Julia was. I saw enough on the Bebop to know that you always had the most fun when she was around."  
  
Spike's eyes were wide as he listened carefully to Ed's rant, and when it was all over, he lowered his head, staring at his hands carefully.  
  
"I- I don't know anymore. it's. I feel differently all the time around her now. I get. jealous, and petty. It makes me angry," Ed's eyes softened at Spike's comment, and she inched closer to him, her childlike, silly grin back on her face.  
  
"I know something happened recently to make you so angry at Faye. but maybe you should talk to her about it. I know Faye Faye, and I don't think that, at this point, she would intentionally do something to make you mad at her. in this way, at least."  
  
*  
  
She had expected to feel the fist slam into her nose, was waiting for the salty smell to assault her senses, accompanied by that wet crack. and was already dreading how ugly she'd look with her perfect nose all screwed up. but what really happened was quite different than that.  
  
Before the guard's fist, that was about as large as her face in the first place, had time to connect with her, there was the ear piercing sound of a gun going off, and for a terrifying second Faye assumed someone had decided to shoot her instead, and make her death quick. But, as she hesitantly cracked her eyes open, it occurred to Faye that maybe the bullet hadn't been meant for her.  
  
"GOD!" the guard screamed, looking down at the arm he had been using to punch Faye, now gushing blood and hanging uselessly at his side. He held it with a pained expression on his scrunched up face, eyes darting around madly as he searched for his attacker, Faye shrinking back from him as blood spurted everywhere. Eww. "Who WAS that!?"  
  
Workers everywhere searched for the gunman, however before anyone could do a thorough check, more rounds were let off, and soon the crates of fish, used as packaging for the Red Eye, were being made into Swiss cheese. Immediately people started panicking, dropping to the ground to avoid being shot, and trying to move the merchandise to a safer place.  
  
Startled, the workers holding Faye loosened their grip on her now bruised arms, and that was all the encouraging Faye needed. Ripping herself away from them, she quickly punched one man across the face so he went skidding down the dock - shocked. His friend let out a shout of anger, and even as the chaos continued in the background, launched himself at Faye. Faye simply ducked under his flailing arms, a determined expression on her features, and kneed him in the groin with a powerful thrust of her leg, helping him to the ground with an elbow in his gut.  
  
As soon as both attackers were down, Faye turned on her heal and sped away from the nightmarish scene as fast as she could, turning down a row of crates and racing down the dock. Eventually she came to a paved road that led back to the streets of Neptune City, a light sheen of sweat covering her as she traveled. That had been really close. and she had no idea what all the shooting was about, but boy was she glad someone had chosen that moment to try and sabotage Yoloko's plans.  
  
Yoloko's plans. she knew what Yoloko's plans were now! It all made so much sense! Well, sort of. Kind of. She had a vague idea, anyway.  
  
Holding her stomach and walking at a slower pace, as the pain in her ribs and arm hit her in full now that she wasn't running for her life, Faye acknowledged that the shooting had stopped in the background. What had happened back there? Had they caught the sniper? She hoped not.  
  
The sudden sound of a car madly making a sharp turn, and coming towards her, made Faye freeze for a second - especially when the car stopped right next to her, hitting the brakes so hard there was a deafening screeching sound.  
  
"Get in!" a feminine voice ordered, shouting at Faye from inside a blue jeep. "Hurry!"  
  
Looking at the blonde behind the wheel, Faye was suddenly reminded of a similar scene taking place but a few years ago. but the car had been a convertible, and she had been at the airport, and the blond driving the car had been Spike's ex-girlfriend.  
  
Shaking her head, Faye launched herself into the car without a second thought, barely having time to slam the door before the woman floored the jeep and raced down the street.  
  
"Whoa." Faye mumbled, gripping her seat with one hand as the car did 70 mph on the main street of Neptune City.  
  
"Sorry, but I have a feeling those blokes back there might be on my tail." The pretty, voluptuous blond admitted, the hands that gripped the wheel shaking, and her knuckles a pearly white.  
  
"You mean to tell me that YOU were the sniper back there?" Faye gasped, now gawking at the woman, who had to be about the same age as Faye, tearing down the streets with wide, blue eyes. And as she looked over the woman, something in the back of Faye's brain clicked, and a few more pieces of the rapidly forming puzzle slipped into place. this woman. she had seen her earlier at the docks. and even then she had been familiar. This woman was.  
  
"Sherry!?" Faye screamed, placing one hand on her forehead, as though checking for a fever, and making sure she wasn't hallucinating.  
  
"Um - that's Shelly. But yeah, it's me! Surprise surprise!" Shelly, the blond bombshell from the bar incident that had taken place, oh so long ago now in Faye's mind, agreed. Faye shook her head in disbelief, briefly wondering why her life was so fucking weird.  
  
"What are you..?"  
  
"Well, I figured I should stop by the docks today. You know, like just in case you picked up on my clue this time, and needed some backup." Shelly, the drunken ditz Faye had ended up having a rather enlightening conversation with at her hotel bar, continued in her accented, chirpy voice, turning and winking cutely at the purple haired bounty huntress who was now staring at her, dumbfounded.  
  
Oh, wow.  
*  
  
"I don't know if I can confront Faye about what happened again, Ed. In all honesty, it still makes me too mad to even think about the incident, and I don't know if I can find it in my heart to forgive her," Spike said, leaning against the couch's base from his place on the floor, and staring at the ceiling. Ed let out a small, warm smile at Spike's comment. She had already guessed that Faye had done something stupid to make Spike so angry, as she usually did, and she figured she probably owed it to the woman to help her out of this mess. After all, Ed had let her leave the Bebop in such a state.  
  
"Like you said Spikey Head - Faye Faye, is Faye Faye. She's always messing up - but she really loves you! Me. All of us! She just has a funny way of showing it," Ed explained. Spike mentally smiled at that comment, realizing how very true it was. Funny Valentine.  
  
"But SHOULD I really give her a second chance? Does she deserve it? Even if it is in her nature to always mess up, should I really let her get away with this one?" he asked, sounding honestly lost.  
  
"I think that's up for you to decide. Who knows, maybe this is all one humongo misunderstanding, and you'd be making a mistake not to at least talk to her about it!" Ed pointed out.  
  
"Well, I was pretty hard on her when I confronted her the first time." Spike admitted, scratching his head almost guiltily as he remembered how he had treated Faye after first seeing her directly after her little lip-lock session with Shinji.  
  
"And do you want to risk giving her a second chance, if it means being with her? Or at least admitting your true feelings, finally?" Ed pressed, the hands that were holding Ein digging almost painfully into the poor animal as she began to get exited over the prospect of executing yet another successful mission.  
  
Spike looked up and stared straight ahead, his mismatched eyes glinting, and his mouth a thin, tight line. There was a moment of silence. And then.  
  
"Yes. Yes I do."  
  
Radical Edward - Mission accomplished.  
  
*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Once again, sorry this took SO long to get out - but even after I started writing this chapter, I took yet another break in the middle of it that lasted about three weeks. Heh. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and what did I tell you about old characters? Shelly is OLD - and now she's back! You'll find out just what her game is in the next chapter, plus maybe a romantic confrontation between Faye and Spike? Maybe? Expect the next chapter. not overly soon. But if you review, who knows, I might have a change of heart!  
  
Rio Grande ~  
  
P.S - one thing I WILL be doing is going through the old chapters, revising them, and reposting them. The spelling errors and grammatical mistakes in those early chapters makes me cringe, and wonder how any of you got this far. Not that much has improved, but, surprisingly, it's easier to correct your work AFTER you've posted it. Life is cruel that way. Have a nice day, and until next time - Peace! 


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